Hold the Mayo

Just before we lost egg, I'd made some amazing homemade mayo with balsamic vinegar...I took one taste & swore I'd never get store-bought again! I suppose that was a prophetic statement, in a way, since it has been tough impossible to find a top 8-free mayonnaise. Not exactly what I meant.

I'm not a big mayo eater (though I seriously might have become one for the homemade stuff) so I haven't missed it that much. But my toddler does love a sandwich (mostly for the bread, I think) and since GF breads tend to be dry/crumbly, it seems like mayo might be useful there.

Anyway. Here are two recipes (I must confess that I have not made either one...am just posting here because I'm posting it to my favorite allergy group and figured I might as well plop it on here as well) that might fit the bill for your family. I'd love to hear feedback!

Beannaise

1 3/4 cup drained cooked or canned white beans (one 15 or 16 oz can)
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs white wine vinegar or additional fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/3 cup EVOO
1/3 cup organic canola or safflower oil

Put all of the ingredients except for the oils into a blender or food processor with s-blade. (Blender will yield a smoother result.) Blend or process until creamy. With appliance running, slowly & steadily add the oils. Stop machine and scrape down sides as needed; process to desired smoothness. Refrigerate to chill & blend flavors.

Cover tightly and store in refrigerator. Will keep about a week. Can also be frozen.

Avocado Mayonnaise
Yield: ¾ cup (177 ml)
This blend can be used as a sandwich spread, salad dressing or to boost flavor of potato or bean salads.

1 medium or large avocado
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup (59 ml) expeller pressed vegetable oil

Remove pit from avocado; scoop out flesh. Place in blender along with lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Blend until smooth. With appliance running, slowly & steadily add vegetable oil. Stop machine and scrape down sides as needed; process until creamy & smooth.

Cover tightly and store in refrigerator. Will keep (without discoloration) 5-6 days.

The Cupboard Was Bare (or so you thought)

based on a list provided by Victoria DeLano

I probably should have posted this the very *second* Victoria shared it but, well, you know...time got away from me once again. ;)

I think the most intimidating thing about going top 8-free is: What can you eat?? You start looking through your pantry and realize that there's almost nothing in there that you can have anymore! You still have lots of options, of course. Like fruits & veggies. But--let's be realistic--that's not always practical, or even feasible. I can almost promise you that my preschooler would actually starve if all he had to eat was fruits & veggies.

Here's a list of foods that should be safe to have in your pantry. (And I will update this as I learn of new products...so if you subscribe to posts, expect to see this one pop up from time to time.) Please, as always, check ingredients labels carefully every time you purchase these or any other products. Ingredient lists can (and do) change without warning. Please help me keep this list current! :)

Meats
Ball Park brand all beef hot dogs
Hillshire Farm Beef Summer Sausage
Ian's Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Patties, Mac & Meat Sauce, Mac & No Cheese, Popcorn Turkey Corn Dogs
Jennie-O turkey - tenderloins, ground turkey, turkey sausage
Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh lunch meat
Market Pantry (Target) pork sausage patties-fully cooked

Pasta & Sides
Ancient Harvest corn-quinoa pastas
Eden Foods Rye Spirals pasta
Food Merchants Polenta
Ian's Alphatots
McCain Home Style Baby Cakes potato cakes (Target)
Mrs. Leeper's rice pasta
Tinkyada rice pasta
Asian rice noodles
Asian rice paper wraps (Asian markets or Whole Foods)

Chips, Crackers, Snacks
Edward and Son Rice Snaps Crackers
Frito's Original
Garden of Eatin' Vegetable Chips
Glutino Gluten Free Breadsticks (crackers)
Glutino Gluten Free pretzel sticks
Good Health Veggie Chips (the Stix have wheat)
Lay's Classic potato chips
Market Pantry (Target) tortilla chips
Mission tortilla chips
Terra Chips - some flavors
Trader Joe's Lite Kettle Corn popcorn

Desserts
Betty Crocker Gluten free baking mixes
Enjoy Life products
Kinnikinnick's Animal Cookies (has a 'may contain' statement on the box)
Kinnikinnick's S'moreables graham crackers (has a 'may contain' statement on the box)
Let's Do Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones
Namaste cake & cookie mixes
Newman's Own= Newman-O's Wheat free, Dairy free creme filled chocolate cookies (contains soy lecithin)
Newman's Own Fig Newmans (contains soy lecithin)
Rice Dream frozen dessert
marshmallows

Fruit Snacks
Archer Farms (Target) fruit strips & bars
Brother's All-Natural Fruit Crisps
Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit real fruit rope
Florida's Natural Nuggets fruit snacks
Stretch Island Fruit Co. fruit strips
apple sauce
dates
raisins (many other dried fruits will also be safe, but watch for 'may contain' warnings)

Cereals/Breakfast
Cocoa Pebbles
Corn Chex
Honey Comb
Ian's French Toast Sticks
Kix Cereal
Rice Chex
Rice Krispies

Bread
Ener-G Foods (shared ovens--not pans--with egg)
Outside the Breadbox Imagine Egg-Free Oat Bread

Condiments
Kraft Original BBQ sauce


Victoria also suggests the top 8-free cookbook "8 Degrees of Ingredients" saying, 'I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this cookbook!!!!!!!' (Yup, direct quote.)

Egg Substitutes

So you have to cut out egg. And you're thinking, 'Oh no! Now I can't make my favorite recipe for __________ [cookies, cake, bread, pancakes, etc.)!' Ah, but you probably can. Okay, quiche is pretty much out, as much as I'd love to say otherwise. But here's a little gift for you, my egglergic friend...

**Disclaimer: These egg substitutes are not all top 8-free.

As leavening, use the following to sub for one egg:

- arrowroot: mix 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder with 3 tablespoons water

- baking powder: mix 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1 tablespoon water. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar. For better rising, add just before adding egg sub to recipe.

- cornstarch: mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water

- Ener-G Egg Replacer: follow directions on box

- yeast: dissolve 1 teaspoon in 1/4 cup warm water

(flour-based leavening subs)
- baking flour: mix 2 teaspoons baking flour with 2 tablespoons carbonated water

- bean flour: mix 1 tablespoon bean flour with 1 tablespoon oil

- soy flour: mix 1 heaping tablespoon soy flour with 1-2 tablespoon water

- unbleached white or other gluten flour: mix 2 tablespoons flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons corn oil, 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 2 tablespoons water

As a binder, use the following to sub for one egg:

- applesauce: 1/4 cup applesauce

- apricot puree: 1 tablespoon

- baking powder: mix 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1 1/2 tablespoons water and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil

- banana: 1/2 large mashed banana. Best used in sweet recipes such as cakes, cookies, dessert breads, etc.

- flaxseed meal: Heat 3 tablespoons of water (can use up to 1/4 cup water to sub for comparable volume) to just boiling. Add 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and let cool at least 5 minutes before using.

- gelatin: mix one packet of unflavored gelatin with one cup boiling water (use 3 tablespoons of this mixture for one egg). Do not mix this ahead of time.

- pear puree: 1/4 cup pureed pears

- prunes: 1/4 cup prunes

- soy milk: 1/4 cup soy milk

- tofu: 1/4 cup of soft tofu

Not Sure of Usage--Can anyone help?

- Arrowroot flour: 2 tablespoons

- Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons

- Potato starch: 2 tablespoons

- Soy milk powder: mix 1 tablespoon soy milk powder with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water