Living Dairy-free

Avocado-Basil Sandwich

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I was looking for a healthy, filling snack when I saw a lonely avocado, a tub of fresh basil, and a container of leftover tomato slices. Then it struck me: avocado-basil sandwich!

I cut one avocado in half — covering and storing one half for another use –, washed five fresh basil leaves, cut one tomato slice in half, toasted a slice of Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread, grabbed the salt and pepper shakers, and snagged the nutritional yeast from the pantry.

Once the bread was toasted, I cut it in half lengthwise. I spread the avocado of one side of each bread half. Then, I placed the basil leaves on top of the avocado on one of the bread pieces. I put the tomato on top of the basil, then dusted on salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. Finally, I closed the sandwich, placing the bread with just the avocado on it avocado side down onto the tomatoes. Ta-da!

Avocado-Basil Sandwich

Avocado-Basil Sandwich

AVOCADO-BASIL SANDWICH 

Ingredients

– 1/2 avocado

– 1 tomato slice (cut in half, so as to create 2 half-circles)

– 1 slice of Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread (toasted)

– 5 fresh basil leaves

– Salt, pepper and nutritional yeast  (to taste)

Instructions

– Cut the piece of toast in half lengthwise.

– Smear avocado on one side of each of the two toast halves.

– Arrange the basil leaves on top of the avocado on one of the toast halves.

– Place tomato slice halves on top of the basil.

– Sprinkle the tomato with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.

– Close the sandwich by placing the toast half that has only avocado on it on top of the tomato slices, avocado side down.

– Enjoy!

A Day of (Dairy-free) Galactagogues

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Galactagogues are foods that boost breastmilk production. Some people swear by them, others see no impact. Either way, the foods are generally healthy, filling options.

Here’s an example of what a day full of dairy-free lactogenic foods looks like:

AM Pumping Fuel:

A mug of green tea and an apple help me start the day. (If you want to really amp up the milk supply, you could substitute fenugreek tea for the green tea.)

Green Tea and an Apple

Green Tea and an Apple

Breakfast: 

A big serving of water along side a bowl of quinoa and flax hot cereal, topped with blueberries, a touch of vanilla extract, a drizzle of honey, and a hearty dash of cinnamon is a nice start on days I don’t feel like having my usual smoothie.

Quinoa & Flax Hot Cereal with Water

Quinoa & Flax Hot Cereal with Water

Snack on the Go: 

A Dark Chocolate Chunk KIND bar with water is easy, portable, tasty, filling, and (importantly for me) dairy-free.

Dark Chocolate KIND Bar and Water

Dark Chocolate KIND Bar and Water

Lunch:

Lots of water with roasted portobello mushroom stuffed with a veggie-packed grain salad topped with hummus (Veggie-ful Grain Salad ingredients: dressing- oil from the drained artichoke hearts mixed with balsamic vinegar; salad- raw chopped fennel; raw chopped English cucumber; drained, rinsed, and chopped canned beets; drained and rinsed canned chickpeas sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, tumeric, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper; julienned jarred roasted red peppers; drained (oil reserved for dressing) and chopped jarred artichoke hearts; a dollop of olive spread; Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Sunrise Blend (wheat bulgur, buckwheat groats, quinoa flakes, and red rice) prepared according to package instructions with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf in the boiling water)

Roasted Portabello Mushroom Stuffed with Veggie-ful Grain Salad Topped with Hummus

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Stuffed with Veggie-ful Grain Salad Topped with Hummus

PM Pumping Fuel:

A mug of green tea, two pieces of Bark Thins Dark Chocolate Coconut, and water, because everyone deserves a treat.

Bark Thins Dark Chocolate Coconut and Green Tea

Bark Thins Dark Chocolate Coconut and Green Tea

 

Snack:

More water and half a sandwich (extra virgin olive oil, avocado, tomato, salt, pepper, nutrional yeast, and sprouts on one slice of Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread) is a satisfying, healthy snack. Make sure to throw back some water too!

Half of an Avocado-Sprout Sandwich

Half of an Avocado-Sprout Sandwich

Dinner:

Lots of water and smoked chicken with roasted veggie pasta (Roasted Veggie Pasta Recipe: chopped fresh fennel, red onion, zucchini, baby bella mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, and bell pepper are drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper, basil, and fennel seeds. The veggies are roasted then stirred together with cooked pasta. The mixture is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of the startchy pasta water, then seasoned with fresh minced garlic, as well as garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, brewers yeast, and nutritional yeast.)

Smoked Chicken with Roasted Veggie Pasta

Smoked Chicken with Roasted Veggie Pasta

Oh!s Treats: Allergy-friendly, Easy Treats

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If s’mores and Rice Krispies Treats had a baby, it would be this deliciousness right here. Crisp graham flavored cereal, gooey marshmallow, heavenly chocolate… yum! Soy-free, nut-free, and dairy-free, these treats are addictive and easy to make.

Ohs Treats

Allergy-friendly Ohs Treats

OH!s TREATS

Ingredients

– 2 Tbl coconut oil

– 1 box Oh!s Cereal

– 1 10oz bag of large marshmallows

– 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Mini Chips

Directions

– Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat.

– Once the oil is liquified, add the marshmallows to melt.

– Stir the marshmallows frequently to avoid burning. Lower the heat if needed.

– Pour the cereal and chocolate into a large mixing bowl.

– Once the marshmallows are melted, add them to the bowl and stir to mix.

– Grease a large baking dish with cooking spray.

– Pour the cereal mixture into the baking dish and smooth out to fill the dish evenly.

– Use a sharp knife to carefully create a hashtag pattern in order to cut the treats into the desired number of portions. (I usually cut 12-16 pieces.)

– Let the treats cool at room temperature until firmly set.

– Enjoy!

(Store at room temperature.)

Dairy-free Make Ahead Kid Breakfasts

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I am a planner. On Sunday evening, I set out the kids’ clothes for the week. Each evening after dinner clean-up, as the kids squabble over their last few bites, I prepare their breakfasts, my breakfast, set up the electric tea kettle, and make their lunches.

Sunny apple sandwich

Sunny apple sandwich

Here are some breakfasts I often make the kids:

Smoothies: #1 and #2’s favorite is frozen mixed berries, frozen banana, frozen spinach, a dollop of sunflower butter, and apple juice. They also like frozen berries, Almond Dream Almond Non-Dairy Unsweetend Vanilla Yogurt, frozen spinach, and cranberry juice. I throw all of the ingredients in the blender cup, pop it in the fridge, and blend it the next morning. Easy!

Sunny Apple Sandwich: I core an apple then cut it horizontally into four slices (the apple core hole should be in the center of each slice, like a bagel.) Spread sunflower butter on one side of two of the apple slices and top each smothered slice with a naked apple slice, so you have apple sunflower butter sandwiches. Cover, refrigerate, and, in the morning, serve with your favorite dairy-free cereal and dairy-free milk (we lIke cashewmilk.)

Dairy-free Parfait: SoDelicious Non-Dairy Coconut Yogurt (#1 and #2 love the strawberry flavor) topped with fresh berries and pumpkin seeds is a tasty breakfast. If I’m using the Almond Dream Almond Non-Dairy Unsweetened Vanilla Yogurt, I’ll add a drizzle of honey. I cover the small bowls and refrigerate. In the morning I top each with dry bran cereal.

Sunny-banana Sandwich: a sunflower butter and banana sandwich on dairy-free bread served with a side of orange slices or pineapple is a fun and easy make-ahead. I just prepare it all, cover it, refrigerate, and serve in the morning.

 

Dairy-free Anytime Sandwich

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I’ll eat sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. I love sandwiches! They’re particularly helpful when you’re a breastfeeding mom who, as a result, has an appetite that would rival a competitive eater’s and must be able to eat with one hand.

My Anytime Sandwich is healthy and versatile. It starts with your favorite bread (rye is generally dairy-free but always check the ingredients to be certain, and Food For Life Sprouted Whole Grain Bread is a tasty vegan option: http://m.foodforlife.com/product/breads/ezekiel-49-sprouted-whole-grain-bread). Slather your favorite hummus on two pieces of bread. Top one of the hummus-smeared bread pieces with tomato slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper to enhance the tomato flavor. Pile your favorite sprouts (I like clover and alfalfa sprout, but broccoli sprouts are also tasty and radish sprouts add a spicy zing) on top of the tomato, close the sandwich, and enjoy.

You can boost the lactogenic (milk supply boosting) qualities of the sandwich by sprinkling on some flax meal, chia seeds, nutrional yeast, and/or brewer’s yeast. You can easily customize this sandwich for breakfast by adding scrambled or fried egg and avocado. You can make it meatier for lunch or dinner with avocado and poached chicken. You could toss on some dairy-free cheese (Creamy Original Chao Original slices are my favorite: https://store.veganessentials.com/mobile/vegan-chao-cheese-slices-by-field-roast-p4350.aspx) or bacon. Amp up the veggie quotient with shredded carrots and thinly sliced cucumber and radish.

Make it suit you!

ANYTIME SANDWICH

2016-04-29 13.07.39

Ingredients:

– 2 slices of dairy-free bread

– 4 slices of tomato

– 3-4Tbl hummus

– 1/4 cup sprouts

– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

– Spread hummus on one side of both pieces of bread.

– On one bread slice, place the tomato slices on top of the hummus.

– Sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and pepper.

– Pile the sprouts on top of the tomato slices.

– Place the second bread slice, hummus side down, on top of the sandwich fillings.

– Enjoy!

Easy Dairy-free Cake

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#2 is turning 3, so #1 and #2 helped me make a cake, while #3 provided moral support. Here’s what we used:

20160406_143825.jpg(We don’t drink soda, so this was all we had on hand. I would have preferred a non-diet soda had it been on hand.)

1. Empty Duncan Hines cake mix (Duncan Hines cake mix is generally dairy-free, but be sure to double-check the ingredients list of your desired flavor before purchasing) into a mixing bowl.

2. Add a can of soda to the bowl.

2. Mix and bake per the cake mix’s instructions.

3. Cool thoroughly, then frost with your preferred dairy-free icing  (most pre-packaged icings are dairy-free, but be sure to double-check your desired flavor before purchasing.)

Enjoy!