Free of: Gluten and top allergens

Ingredients

• 2 large duck breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 4 hallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups (475 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 cups (475 mL) chicken stock [Look for allergen-free, gluten-free brand]
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch

Method

1. Using a sharp knife, score the fat of each duck breast in a criss-cross formation. Season duck on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sear duck, fat side down 4-6 minutes, then cook for same time on other side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove duck to a plate to rest.
3. For the sauce: heat remaining oil in a medium saucepan. Add shallots and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add orange juice, stock and cornstarch. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, until liquid has reduced by half and thickened.
5. Slice duck thinly and arrange on a platter as your elegant food centerpiece. Drizzle with orange sauce and serve.

Recipe by Simon Clarke

First published in Allergic Living magazine.
To order that issue or to subscribe, click here.

© Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.

Free of: Gluten and top allergens

Ingredients

• 3 large parsnips, peeled, thinly sliced
• 4 large carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 1 ⁄4 cup (60 mL) maple syrup
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme
• Pinch salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat oven to 350˚ F.
2. 2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss together thoroughly.
3. Lay vegetables in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook in oven for 25-30 minutes, turning at least once.
4. Serve with braised chicken breasts.

Recipe by Simon Clarke

First published in Allergic Living magazine.
To order that issue or to subscribe, click here.

© Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.

See: Braised Chicken in Apple Cider

Free of: Gluten and top allergens

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts (skin on)*
• 4 slices pancetta (or bacon), diced*
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 4 shallots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 4 cups (950 mL) fresh apple cider

Method

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, skin side down. Cook 3-4 minutes each side, until golden.
2. Move chicken to a plate; set aside. Add diced pancetta to pan. Sauté for 5 mins.
3. Add shallots, garlic and thyme. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add apple cider and bring to boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add seared chicken. Cover and braise 8-10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
5. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Continue to cook sauce until reduced by half.
6. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with maple glazed parsnips and carrots (pictured).

*Note: For a special occasion, use pheasant instead of chicken. For lower-cal, omit pancetta.

Recipe by Simon Clarke

First published in Allergic Living magazine.
To order that issue or to subscribe, click here.

© Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.

See: Maple Glazed Parsnips and Carrots

Free of: Gluten and top allergens

Ingredients

• 6-inch long piece of beef tenderloin, cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) honey
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) hot chili sauce [Look for allergen-free, gluten-free brand]
• Salt and pepper
• Several green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
• Bamboo skewers
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

Method

1. In a medium bowl, combine beef strips with honey, olive oil, rosemary, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Thread one strip of beef onto a 5-inch to 6-inch skewer, then a piece of green onion, then one more strip of beef. Continue until all beef is used up. Season skewers with salt and pepper.
3. In a large sauté pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add beef skewers to pan, making sure not to crowd.
4. Sauté on each side for about 1 minute, until cooked. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Simon Clarke

First published in Allergic Living magazine.
To order an issue or to subscribe, click here.

• Wild Mushroom & Chive Risotto Cakes

• Carrot Soup Shooters

• Vietnamese Salad Rolls

• Seared Lamb on Fritters with Red Currant Relish

• Beef and Green Onion Skewers

• Glazed Duck Quesadillas

• Beef-Water Chestnut Cakes with Chili Dip

• Polenta Trianges with Roasted Red Peppers

• Spicy Eggplant Fritters

• Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs

• Eggplant Hummus

• Potato, Parsnip & Pear Latkes

Free of top allergens and gluten-free:

• Chef Simon’s Seriously Fruitcake

• Scrumptious Pumpkin Pie – 2 versions: gluten-free and regular flour

• Cranberry & Apple Pie – 2 versions: gluten-free and regular flour

• Gluten-Free, Dairy-free Shortbread

• Cranberry and Banana Loaf

• Delicious Date Squares

• Old-Fashioned Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

• Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons – contain eggs

• The Gluten-Free Girl’s Perfect Pie Crust

Free of top allergens but contain wheat:

• Mincemeat Tartlets

• Cranberry and Banana Loaf – version with wheat flour

• Shortbread Cookies – version with wheat flour

• Gingerbread Cookies

• Spiced Sugar Cookies – contain spelt, not GF

Hot Tips

• Senior Editor Alisa Fleming on: Baking Without Dairy or Eggs

• Food Editor Simon Clarke on: Working with Gluten-Free Pastry

At holiday time, making your own chocolate goodies is a crafty and fun-filled afternoon. Following are my recipes for: chocolates, ganache frosting and chocolate clay figures and bouquets.

All are free of: The top 8 allergens, sesame and gluten. Enjoy!

Homemade Chocolates

Try whipping up some professional-looking chocolates. You’ll need store-bought molds in designs such as Santas, angels or bunnies.

“Tempering” will be crucial. That’s the process of heating then cooling chocolate to specific temperatures to produce glossy-looking treats that “snap” when you break them and look store-bought. Chocolate is finicky (one drop of water can ruin an entire batch) and it burns easily – so go slowly. It’s best to make small batches of a few chocolates at a time until you get the hang of it.

Ingredients

• 1 bag of allergen-free, semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Method

1. Using a BPA-free microwave-safe plastic bowl, melt 2/3 of the chocolate in the microwave slowly until it reaches 110 degrees F. (I set my micro to power level 2, and checked the temperature using a chocolate thermometer every 25 seconds.)
2. With a silicone spatula, stir in the remaining unheated chocolate until it melts. Stir until the thermometer temperature reaches 88 degrees F, then pour into molds.
3. Overfill a little, and use a straight-edged knife to level. Gently bang the mold on a flat surface to release air bubbles. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, then release from mold.

*Note: I used Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips for this recipe and the ganache. There are other brands of allergen-free chocolate available as well.

Editor’s Note: Pamela writes the “Allergic Diva” column in the Canadian edition of Allergic Living magazine.

Next Page: Ganache

Ingredients

• 1 boneless lamb loin (ask your butcher to tie)
• 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and grated
• 1 small onion, peeled and grated
• 1 egg or egg replacer
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 jar good quality relish or chutney (See Red Currant Relish in Winter 2012 edition of Allergic Living magazine)

Method

1. Rub lamb loin with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Sear lamb for 4-6 minutes, turning often, until cooked medium rare. Remove lamb to plate to rest.
3. For the fritters: in a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, egg or replacer, salt and pepper.
4. Using the same pan (don’t want to lose the lamb flavor!), heat vegetable oil over medium heat.
5. Place 2 tbsp mounds of fritter mixture into pan. Flatten into disks, using the back of a spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
6. Place cooked fritters on paper towel. Gently pat off excess oil. Make rest of the fritters.
7. Remove string from lamb loin. With a sharp knife, slice lamb into ¼-inch thick slices.
8. Place two slices onto each fritter, and top with a dollop of your favorite relish or chutney.

Reprinted from the Winter 2012 edition of Allergic Living magazine.

Free of: All top allergens and gluten-free

Ingredients

• 4 beef osso buco cuts from the shank (be sure to ask for the osso buco cut, or you will end up with a very large whole shank)
• 1 cup (250 mL) tapioca flour (or all-purpose wheat flour)
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh ground pepper
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) salt
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 1 cup (250 mL) red pearl onions
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 cups (475 mL) diced carrots
• 1 cup (250 mL) celery, diced
• Rind from 1 orange – remove peel with peeler
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch fresh thyme (whole)
• 4 cups (950 mL) beef stock [Look for allergen-free, g-f brands]
• 2 cups (475 mL) red wine (if not using wine, replace with more stock)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º F. Season flour with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss shanks gently in seasoned flour to coat.
2. Heat olive oil in a large, oven-proof Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Brown shanks. Remove and set aside.
3. Add onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the pot. Cook 5 minutes. Add orange peel strips, bay leaves, thyme, stock and wine (if using). Stir.
4. Now add beef shanks and submerge in the liquid. Cover tightly with Dutch oven lid. Place in oven for 2-2½ hours, until shanks are tender.
5. Skim off excess fat from pan. Remove orange peel and herbs.
6. Serve one beef shank per person, with some vegetables and aromatic broth.

Recipe by Simon Clarke

First published in Allergic Living magazine.
To order an issue or to subscribe, click here.

Free of:  Free of gluten and top allergens. Does constain sulphites (in fruit, liquor).

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (175 mL) golden raisins
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) dark raisins
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) dried currants
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) honey
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) brandy
• 1 cup (250 mL) gluten-free or regular bread flour
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) ginger
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cinnamon
• Pinch ground cloves
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) dairy-free alternative [we used Earth Balance] or butter
• 2 large eggs or egg replacers

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the dried fruit, honey and brandy. Cover and let soak overnight.
2. Pre-heat oven to 275º F. Grease and flour 8×3-inch loaf pan.
3. Sift flour, salt and spices together. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter alternative for five minutes on medium speed, scraping down bowl as needed.
5. On low speed, add eggs one at a time (or all of replacer at once), until fully incorporated.
6. Add sifted dry ingredients to the bowl, combining thoroughly.
7. Add the soaked fruit and brandy, folding into mix.
8. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and bake for 2 hours, or until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe by Simon Clarke

First published in Allergic Living magazine.
To subscribe, click here.