Allergy-Free Mom Food

A normal blog post for this blog usually centers around kid-friendly food, but I realize that some of you are adults with food allergies (or you just want to eat a more healthy diet – and so do I) so I decided to start putting more ‘adult-style’ food on here when I can. Today I made a yummy, healthy lunch and wanted to share it with you. My kids wouldn’t touch this with a ten foot pole because it involves lettuce, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s a great one for these record-hot days of summer.

Grilled Chicken Strips & Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinagrette

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into strips {chicken tenderloins would work, too}

Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

Sea Salt

Black Pepper {a natural metabolism booster!}

Green Leaf Lettuce {washed and cut into bite size pieces}

1 Tomato, diced

1/2 Zucchini, washed and diced

White Mushrooms {sliced}, washed and diced

Balsamic Vinagrette

1 part Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 parts Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic Powder

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

1. Rub chicken with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Grill to your liking. Cut into strips.

2. While chicken is grilling, cut up your lettuce and veggies. Toss together in a bowl or on a plate.

3. Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. Pour onto salad.

4. Add chicken strips OR cut the chicken strips into smaller pieces and toss into salad.

This salad is loaded with nutrition and you could even add more veggies to it.

Zucchini helps cure asthma, as it contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. It contains useful amounts of folate, potassium and Vitamin A which are all necessary for proper functioning of the body. Regular consumption of zucchini can help protect the body from colon cancer. All of this and much more in one little veggie.

White Button Mushrooms have Vitamin D. In fact, they contain 100% of the recommended daily allowance of Vit D. They are also a cancer fighter, aid in estrogen reduction (helps reduce risk of breast cancer), contains potassium (great for high blood pressure, reduce risk of stroke and low blood sugar, prevents heart attacks), and decreases risk of prostate cancer.

Tomatoes are cancer fighters, they fight heart disease, promote healthy colon and prostate and reduce blood clots and inflammation. When grown organically and on a vine in the sunshine they soak up lots of nutrients that are good for your body!

What are your favorite veggies in a salad??

Zucchini Fries {Dairy-, Egg-Free}

It might be a little early in the morning to talk about Zucchini, but I made these last night and thought they were delicious. {I’ll be honest and tell you that my kids and hubby were not thrilled with these, but they aren’t fans of zucchini, no matter how it’s cooked.}  I thought they were great! I’m not crazy about mushy zucchini, but I liked this crunchy version. You should at least give it a try. It’s something different. I got this recipe from The Kid-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger. They have a few recipes that I like, but I couldn’t find that many in there that were appealing or healthy.

Zucchini Fries {They call them Zucchini Sticks}

1 egg {OR 1 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer with 1 tsp oil. Add to batter}

1 cup milk or water {I used Almond Milk, original}

1/2 cup rice flour {I used all-purpose}

1/2 cup corn starch

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

2 cups zucchini, onions, sweet potato, or any favorite veggie

1. Slice veggies into long, slender pieces.

2. In large pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 325 degrees. {You could use fryer or even bake these for a more healthy option.}

3. In medium bowl, whisk the ingredients together. Dip veggies into batter. With a slotted spoon {or tongs}, lower veggies into oil. Don’t crowd them. Remove when golden. Set on a paper towel to drain. Serve! Don’t let them sit too long or they will become soggy. Nothing is worse than soggy zucchini.

Zucchini offers valuable antioxidants and is rich in potassium. Good for you and yummy, too!

If you make these, let me know! I’d love to know your thoughts on them.