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Showing posts with label dairy free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dairy free. Show all posts
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Slightly Creamy Shrimp Scampi
This is a quick and easy recipe for shrimp scampi that will impress your guests!
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1/2 a yellow onion
1/2 bag of frozen shrimp or 1/2 lb uncooked shrimp
1 cup of peas (frozen, canned, or fresh)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp smart balance
1/4 cup Lactaid cream
1. Cover the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil and add butter alternative, garlic, and onion. Turn on low heat and let the ingredients mix together and the onions soften. About 10-12 minutes.
4. Mix with pasta of choice. Use about 1/2 a package and cook to desired softness while making the scampi sauce.
Yields 4-5 servings.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Butternut Squash Soup
Here's a simple, healthy soup that tastes so creamy, you'd never know it was dairy free. It was originally adapted from Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis and is a great first course to any fall or winter meal.
Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into ~2 inch pieces (about 8 cups)
3 cups of carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup of sage, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups of chicken stock
2 Tablespoons of Smart Balance
EVOO
1) In a stockpot, add butter, 2 tablespoons of EVOO, onion and carrots and cook over medium high heat until veggies are soft – about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
2) Add the squash, chicken stock and sage. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Turn off heat.
3) Use an immersion blender and blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, wait until the mixture has cooled down and blend in a food processor in batches.
4) Ladle into bowls and enjoy.
Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into ~2 inch pieces (about 8 cups)
3 cups of carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup of sage, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups of chicken stock
2 Tablespoons of Smart Balance
EVOO
1) In a stockpot, add butter, 2 tablespoons of EVOO, onion and carrots and cook over medium high heat until veggies are soft – about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
2) Add the squash, chicken stock and sage. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Turn off heat.
3) Use an immersion blender and blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, wait until the mixture has cooled down and blend in a food processor in batches.
4) Ladle into bowls and enjoy.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Amazing App Alert: Shrimp Won tons
Raise of hands of anyone who has used the ever versatile Nasoya Won ton Wraps? Well, if you haven't, pick them up on your next trip to the grocery store - they are typically found in the produce section. They are great for any course of a meal - and in so many ways. Today, I'm going to share my favorite - a shrimp won ton appetizer that just hits the spot...
Ingredients:
Nasoya Won ton Wraps
1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 hot pepper, diced (optional depending on your desire for heat)
1 cup of Veggie Mozzarella Cheese
EVOO
2 Tablespoons of Smart Balance (light or regular)
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (optional)
Directions:
1) Add onions, red pepper, Smart Balance and a few turns of EVOO to a pan over medium-low heat. Cook until the onions and pepper are soft (approximately 10 minutes)
2) Add the diced shrimp to the mixture and cook until they are pink (about 2-3 minutes).
3) Stir in cheese
4) On a greased cookie sheet (for this I like to use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray) and start filling the won tons - about a a quarter to half spoon full in each and then fold the won ton over. After you fill all the wraps (mixture should make between 25-30), spray all the won tons with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and press down on the edges (note: if you don't have the spray, you can use a little water or melt some of the Smart Balance and use a brush).
5) Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, until the won tons are slightly browned and crisp.
6) Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients:
Nasoya Won ton Wraps
1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 hot pepper, diced (optional depending on your desire for heat)
1 cup of Veggie Mozzarella Cheese
EVOO
2 Tablespoons of Smart Balance (light or regular)
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (optional)
Directions:
1) Add onions, red pepper, Smart Balance and a few turns of EVOO to a pan over medium-low heat. Cook until the onions and pepper are soft (approximately 10 minutes)
Labels:
appetizers,
dairy free,
dairy free recipe,
fast appetizer,
holiday appetizers,
lactose-free,
lactose-intolerant,
nasoya,
non-dairy,
shrimp,
simple appetizer,
veggie cheese,
won tons,
wontons
Monday, November 28, 2011
Product Faceoff! Ice Cream Cones


Hello all! We hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend. This week we're back with more recipes and lifestyle tips. But first, here is the weekly Product Faceoff! This week I compared one of my childhood favorites. Tofutti’s dairy-free version of an ice cream cone went up against Hood’s ice cream cone (Red Sox!). It wasn’t easy picking a winner this week – see below for our findings!
Price
$5.19 – Tofutti
$3.23 - Hood
Winner of Price category: Hood is the obvious winner of the price category. Plus you get 6 cones instead of 4.
Taste
Tofutti – Chocolate cookie crunchies top delicious dairy-free vanilla cream. The cone is also lined with chocolate and there is a chunk of chocolate at the bottom of the one. There was nothing about the taste that indicated this was dairy-free. Job extremely well done, Tofutti!
Hood – This was delicious as well. The only difference is the Hood version has nuts on the top instead of chocolate crunchies.
Winner of Taste category: I preferred Tofutti. I liked the chocolate crunchies on top versus the original coating of chocolate & nuts.
Nutrition Info
Tofutti – 220 calories, 13 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 24 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 21 grams sugar, 2 grams protein
Hood – 220 calories, 12 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 26 grams carbs, 0 grams fiber, 18 grams sugar, 4 grams protein
Winner of Nutrition info: Tofutti is the winner here since it contains some fiber, less saturated fat & no cholesterol. Calories, fat, sugar, and carbs were all pretty similar.
Accessibility
Both were from the neighborhood grocery store – most sell Tofutti dairy-free ice cream products. If you're not from New England, you may not have Hood products in your grocery store, but the Drumsticks brand is a very close substitute.
Winner of Accessibility category: It’s a tie
Texture
Tofutti – my only gripe about this brand is their sugar cone was kind of soggy. This is just my personal preference, but I like my cones.
Hood – in contrast to Tofutti, Hood’s cone managed to stay crunchy.
Winner of Texture category: In the end, I still pick Tofutti. I liked the texture of the ice cream more, as well as the toppings.
Final Results: Tofutti is the clear winner this week!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Need an app fast? Try these spinach balls
These spinach balls are an easy and quick appetizer for the holiday season. In fact they’re so simple I keep a few boxes of spinach handy in the case of unexpected company or to use as a side with dinner.
Ingredients:
2 – 10 ounce boxes of chopped frozen spinach
¾ cup of Veggie Parmesan Cheese Alternative
1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard
½ Tablespoon of dried mustard
1 cup of breadcrumbs, preferably panko
4 Tablespoons of Smart Balance – light or regular
3 eggs
1) Defrost spinach and squeeze out as much moisture as possible
2) Mix spinach and all ingredients together. Don’t be shy – using your (freshly washed) hands is the easiest way to do this
3) Form mixture into golf sized balls – lay out on a baking sheet that has been thoroughly sprayed with non-stick spray.
4) Bake for approximately 30 minutes until slightly browned, remove and serve with mustard.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Product Faceoff! Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese vs. Stop & Shop Light

I love bagels so knowing where to find some delicious cream cheese is an absolute must. Based on some not-so-great experiences with dairy-free products (Amy’s soy mac & cheese anyone?), I was a bit nervous to try this out. I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Tofutti went up against a store brand light cream cheese & here are the results!
Price
Tofutti - $2.49 (or 2 for $3 at Stop & Shop this week!), 8 oz.
S&S - $2.29 for 8 oz.
Winner of Price category: Negligible difference in price for 1, Tofutti wins for its sale prices
Taste
Tofutti – although it didn’t quite have the same taste as regular cream cheese, it was great. It was more sour compared to the S&S stuff. I think it borders on tasting more like fat-free cream cheese, although Tofutti is definitely better than that stuff!
S&S – tasting good as always!
Winner of Taste category: Overall I could barely tell the difference between the two, but I preferred the real stuff this week. S&S it is.
Nutrition Info
Tofutti – 2 tbsp serving
60 calories (45 from fat), 5 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 2 grams trans fat, 120 mg sodium, 2 grams carbs, 0 grams fiber, 0 grams sugar, 1 gram protein
S&S – 2 tbsp serving
60 calories (40 from fat), 4.5 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 140 mg sodium, 2 grams carbs, 0 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar, 2 grams protein, 2% Calcium & 8% Vitamin A
Winner of Nutrition info: Sorry, have to go with S&S here based on Tofutti’s trans fats alone!
Accessibility- Both were from your neighborhood grocery store
Winner of Accessibility category: It’s a tie
Texture
Tofutti – it has a great consistency, spreads just like the original cream cheese would. I think it would make a wonderful baking ingredient as well.
S&S – I was slightly put off by the fact the light cream cheese seemed more watery than it should have been.
Winner of Texture category: Tofutti is better here.
Final Results: It’s a tie at 2.5 wins each! In the end, I loved both of them and would definitely recommend Tofutti’s Better Than Cream Cheese to all of our lactose-free readers. I am lactose-tolerant but wouldn’t have a problem happily substituting if Tofutti didn’t have 2 grams of trans fat!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions - chopped
- 2 carrots - chopped
- 2 tbsp garlic - minced
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3 cans 100% pumpkin or 6 cups of roasted pumpkin puree
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups Silk Soy Original
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of Silk Soy Creamer
- salt and pepper to taste
- Tofutti Sour Cream (for topping)
1. Olive oil should cover the bottom of a large sauce pan. Over medium-high heat saute the carrots and onions until soft (add carrots first since they take a bit longer to soften). Add the spices and saute for another minute or so.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tex-Mex Rice, Shrimp & Black-Eyed Peas... Quick, Delicious, AND Dairy Free
This weekend I picked up my November issue of Food Network Magazine and immediately tried out the “weeknight” meal, "Tex-Mex Rice and Black-Eyed Peas". Many times I feel these so called "weeknight" meals take much longer than indicated but this one pleasantly surprised me. I tinkered with it to give it a little more substance (such as adding some roasted shrimp) and to make I non-diary (of course) - it turned out to be not only quick but delicious! This is also a great recipe to serve company with all the toppings in the center table so people can customize their own bowl.
Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1 cup fresh salsa
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 14-ounce cans black-eyed peas (1 undrained; 1 drained and rinsed)
3 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, halved, pitted and sliced
½ pound of shrimp
1 lime
½ red onion, sliced thinly
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Toppings:
Shredded Veggie Cheese
Tofutti Sour Cream
Lime (sliced)
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Scallions
Hot sauce (I used and loved a few dashes of Tabasco Chipotle)
Directions
1) Cook rice as directed on label (tip: I like to use chicken broth for some extra flavor)
2) Peel shrimp (if needed) and toss with the juice of one lime and a ½ teaspoon of cumin. Turn oven to broil and cook for 3 minutes until shrimp is just turns pink.
3) While rice is cooking, heat a few turns of EVOO in a saucepan over medium-low heat and add the thinly sliced red onions. Let cook until they’re translucent and starting to caramelize (about 10 minutes).
4) Turn up heat slightly, drizzle additional EVOO as needed and add salsa and cumin and stir. Cook until the salsa is soft ( about five minutes or so).
5) Add the two cans of black-eye peas (including the liquid from one) and ¼ cup water. Cook, stir occasionally until the beans are creamy and tender – about 12 minutes.
6) Add the spinach and cilantro to the black eyed pea mixture and stir until milted about 1 minute. Add in cooked shrimp and stir together.
7) Fluff the rice and divide amongst the bowls. Spoon the black eyed peas mixture over the rice.
8) Top with sliced avocado and the toppings of your choice…. Veggie cheese, Tofutti sour cream, salsa, hot sauce (your choice), chopped cilantro, scallions, lime slices, etc.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Top 5 Tips - How to Get Enough Calcium
Lactose-intolerant individuals are at risk of calcium inadequacy if they avoid dairy products. Individuals with lactose intolerance are considered as an "at-risk" group for calcium inadequacy by the Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institute of Health.
Read our top 5 tips below for how to ensure you are getting enough calcium. You can also learn your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for calcium & find a list of low lactose sources of Calcium.
1. Research suggests that most people with lactose intolerance can consume up to 12 grams of lactose, such as that present in 8 ounces of milk, with minimal or no symptoms, especially if consumed with other foods. Larger amounts can frequently be consumed if spread over the day and eaten with other foods.
2. Choose non-dairy food sources such as kale, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, collards, fortified foods, oysters, tofu, salmon, sardines, shrimp, almonds, and calcium-fortified orange juice.
3. One of the best sources of calcium is lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk. Some lactose-reduced milk has extra calcium added. Low-lactose cheeses (such as Cheddar and Swiss) and yogurt are also good sources of calcium.
4. Consider a calcium supplement. Food is the best way to get calcium, but if you need a supplement, limit doses to no more than 600 milligrams (60% DV). Your body can't absorb larger amounts at one time. Take with meals to help the calcium tablets dissolve and improve absorption. Food helps stimulate production of the stomach acid needed to dissolve calcium supplements.
5. Add vitamin D unless you're already taking a multivitamin. Choose a supplement with between 200 to 400 International Units (50-100% Daily Value) vitamin D.
The recommended daily amount of calcium required for most people in the U.S. are:

Low Lactose Sources of Calcium, courtesy of Wegman's
Read our top 5 tips below for how to ensure you are getting enough calcium. You can also learn your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for calcium & find a list of low lactose sources of Calcium.
1. Research suggests that most people with lactose intolerance can consume up to 12 grams of lactose, such as that present in 8 ounces of milk, with minimal or no symptoms, especially if consumed with other foods. Larger amounts can frequently be consumed if spread over the day and eaten with other foods.
2. Choose non-dairy food sources such as kale, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, collards, fortified foods, oysters, tofu, salmon, sardines, shrimp, almonds, and calcium-fortified orange juice.
3. One of the best sources of calcium is lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk. Some lactose-reduced milk has extra calcium added. Low-lactose cheeses (such as Cheddar and Swiss) and yogurt are also good sources of calcium.
4. Consider a calcium supplement. Food is the best way to get calcium, but if you need a supplement, limit doses to no more than 600 milligrams (60% DV). Your body can't absorb larger amounts at one time. Take with meals to help the calcium tablets dissolve and improve absorption. Food helps stimulate production of the stomach acid needed to dissolve calcium supplements.
5. Add vitamin D unless you're already taking a multivitamin. Choose a supplement with between 200 to 400 International Units (50-100% Daily Value) vitamin D.
The recommended daily amount of calcium required for most people in the U.S. are:

Low Lactose Sources of Calcium, courtesy of Wegman's

Monday, October 31, 2011
Product Faceoff! Amy’s Soy Mac & Cheese vs. Stouffer’s


This week I compared one of my favorite staples, macaroni & cheese. I’ve just tried about every mac & cheese out there (boxed and frozen), and as the sole lactose-tolerant writer of this blog, I couldn’t wait to see if soy mac & cheese could stand up to my regular lineup. Below are the results!
Price
Amy’s - $2.79
Stouffer’s - $2.00
Winner of Price category: Stouffer’s… and bonus, you get 12 oz with Stouffer’s vs 9 oz in Amy’s
Taste
Amy’s – Could definitely tell this was not the real thing. It had a very sharp, odd taste to it. It had a very strong smell to it as well, and it wasn’t a nice one…
Stouffer’s – the regular stuff didn’t disappoint in this category. It had a nice mild taste and it smelled delicious.
Winner of Taste category: This was not a close call – Stouffer’s gets the win
Nutrition Info
Amy’s – 9 oz serving
370 calories, 15 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 500 mg sodium, 42 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar, 16 grams protein, 15% calcium
Stouffer’s – 6 oz serving
340 calories, 16 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 810 mg sodium, 32 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 13 grams protein, 30% calcium
Winner of Nutrition info: With the Amy’s soy mac & cheese, you get a 50% bigger portion for similar calories & fat, and much less saturated fat & sodium. With Amy’s you’ll also save on sugar and gain some fiber instead.
Accessibility
Both were from your neighborhood grocery store
Winner of Accessibility category: It’s a tie
Texture
Amy’s – Although the taste was very disappointing, the texture was alright. It was pretty similar to the regular stuff. The cheese melted well and the pasta cooked well in the microwave.
Stouffer’s – the cheese sauce was slightly thinner than the soy cheese version, but overall a great texture – better than the soy cheese
Winner of Texture category: Stouffer’s wins again
Final Results: This is no surprise – I couldn’t get past the taste and smell of Amy’s soy mac & cheese. It just had a very fake, strong taste and smell to it. If you have another dairy-free mac & cheese option, we would love to hear about them. Leave your comments below!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Pumpkin Sausage Pasta
Fall is my favorite time of year…weather turns a bit chilly, football season is in full swing and canned pumpkin hits the shelves in droves. This delicious dairy free pumpkin pasta dish is the perfect Fall recipe… it may sound a bit odd, but the taste is a seasonal great. It also works as a quick weeknight meal!
Ingredients:
1 pound of sausage, cut in ½ inch pieces (you can use any type here, I like hot Italian in this dish)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 2oz package of sage leaves, chopped
1 cup of white wine
1 cup of chicken stock
1 can of 29 ounce pumpkin (be careful not to grab the pumpkin pie mix!)
¾ cup of Silk Soy Creamer
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
2 cups of mushrooms sliced (any variety works, I like a mix of shiitake and cremini)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Steps:
1) Add a few turns of EVOO to a large pan and on medium high heat. Brown the sausage and transfer to plate. Drain most of the fat from the pan and return to the stove, reduce heat to medium.
2) Add as needed EVOO and add onion, garlic and cook for approximately 5 minutes, until tender.
3) Add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have given off their water
4) Add bay leaf, sage and wine and reduce wine by about half (approximately 3 minutes). Add stock and pumpkin and bring sauce to a bubble.
5) Return sausage to the mixture and add cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. Reduce heat and let dish simmer together from about 5-10 minutes so sauce thickens up. Taste and season more if you prefer. Serve with pasta.
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