Turkey Wrapped Asparagus

Turkey wrapped asparagus is yum.  It's easy.  It's healthy.  It's good. 

I rinse and then I snap the ends off of a bunch of asparagus.
I saw on a cooking show once that asparagus spears are meant to be snapped, not cut.
So, SNAP, I say!  :)

Then I blanch the asparagus in a little sauce pan for a few minutes.  (If you do it too long, they will get squishy- so don't over blanch) Blanch is just a fancy word for "put the food in a little boiling water for a few minutes and then run it under cold water." It's also one of the Golden Girls. 

Then I take a piece or half a piece of Boars Head Maple Glaze Turkey and wrap it around a spear or two of asparagus. 

Make up a pile and keep 'em in the 'fridge.

Yep, it's good! :)

Pretzels and Peanut Butter { My go-to snack }

This is one of those staples in my dairy soy free diet, that I simply couldn't do without. 

I eat them in a house
I eat them with a mouse.
I eat them here and there,
Say! I eat them ANYWHERE! :)

Peanut Butter in general is a life saver.

Protein without cooking. Whoop!

Just make sure that your PB doesn't have soybean oil in it.  I'd say go with either the Skippy Natural or the Smart Balance.  They are made without soybean oil and I'm a fan of the taste. 

Also, when getting pretzels, be sure to avoid the flavored ones that have sneaky dairy and soy ingredients.  I love the Snyders snaps. They are safe :)

This is a super snack to keep in the car or diaper bag for when you're out and about and STARVING. 
Or in and around and STARVING.
OR just in general STARVING.

Because lets face it, you don't always have time to cook to eat, sometimes you gotta grab and go!  :)

Cold Succotash (Corn and Bean salad)

This recipe comes from a fellow milk'n mama, who just happens to be my bff, Kell.  Hop on over to her blog and show her some dairy/soy free love! 


Succotash is really any dish that has corn and beans in it... there are all sorts of variations on succotash, but this one is great, because it's cold, dairy & soy free, quick, easy, tasty and filling!

For this recipe, you'll need:



Some dairy/soy free bacon
Dairy/Soy free mayonnaise
A can of white shoepeg corn
A bag of frozen baby lima beans


Cook half the bag of baby limas according to the directions on the bag.  (Be careful not to overcook.)
If you want to use the whole bag, just throw in another can of corn.  (That math takes skill!) 
Cook the Bacon
Drain and rinse cooked beans under cold water
Drain corn
Combine all ingredients, adding as much mayo and bacon to the beans as corn as you like! 

Easy Peasy and Yummy good! :)

Goes great with a boars head, maple glazed turkey pita, with briannas poppyseed dressing and some grapes :)

Bacon, Eggs, and Grits

Bacon, scrambled eggs, grits and OJ.

Easy and GOOD!

I cook my eggs in canola oil and use some of the bacon drippings to flavor my grits.  

(Don't hate...  It isn't like butter and cheese are fat free- and those aren't allowed around here!)

Just be sure to check for dairy ingredients on the bacon label.  I like Oscar Meyer centercut bacon.  :)

Quick Brown Rice Pilaf

If you're looking for a quick, filling dish, brown rice is always a good option, but sometimes, it can be a little.. bland. 

SO... why not kick it up a notch by boiling your bag in chicken broth instead of water?!
It certainly gives it a little more flavor.. which is nice when you're eating dairy/soy free.  :)



The precooked/boil in bag rice isn't as healthy as normal rice, but when you're cooking every meal from scratch, and nursing a baby and tryin' to keep from getting buried under your ever enlarging LAUNDRY pile... it's ok to go with the boil in bag, rice.  It just is. 

Do read the label on your chicken broth to make sure there isn't any sneaky dairy or soy ingredients in it.  ("Vegetable" of unnamed origin is often soy.) 


I used one bag of boil in bag brown rice and the full four cups of chicken broth and boiled for 10 minutes.  I add some extra salt. 

And you can always throw some of your Souvlaki chicken in it if you have some on hand!  

Cherrios in my cup

Honey Nut Cheerios are dairy & soy free!  Yippee! 

I like 'em with either almond milk or coconut milk.

And I like 'em out of a cup.  

Growing up, my dad taught me the benefits of eating cereal out of a cup:

It's portable, you can drink the milk easily out once the cereal is gone, and you look cool doing it.

But I warn you... once you try it, you may never eat cereal out of a bowl again!

Happy cereal out of a cup, eating! :)

Spinach Salad

Ok, so I know that you might be like, "Duh, Salads are dairy and soy free!"  But just bear with me. 
There are salads, and then there are SALADS, ya, know?!

My favorite (easy) Dairy/Soy free SALAD is comprised of:

Baby Spinach
Fresh Tomatoes
Bacon (read your labels here, and beware of sneaky dairy/soy ingredients)
Boiled Eggs
Brianna's Homestyle Rich Poppyseed Dressing

It's good,  I'm tellin ya!

Tuna Salad

tuna salad pita with cape cod original potato chips

When I'm eating without restrictions, tuna salad probably isn't one of my go-to meals...
but can I just say that when I'm eating dairy/soy free, I LOVE a tuna salad pita?!

It's quick and meaty and filling.
It's easy to keep the ingredients on hand.
And there's no cooking involved.

If you're eating dairy free for baby, then you've got a little one (or ONES) to tend to... there's not time to spend slaving over the stove for LUNCH.

So, I give you... the Tuna Salad Pita! 



Canola Mayonnaise
     (The only two brands of Mayonnaise I've found that are soy-free are Hain Canola 
     and Spectrum Canola Mayo- I've found these at Publix or Kroger)
Sweet Relish
Starkist Yellowfin Tuna packed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Toufayan Pita Bread

A note about tuna...

Most tuna is packed with "vegetable broth" (check the label). More often than not, the vegetable used in that broth is soybean. (much like the vegetable in "vegetable oil" is most commonly soybean)  Even though the allergens listed on a can of tuna do not list soy, MSPI nurslings can have an adverse reaction to the trace amount of soy protein in packaged tuna.  Don't shoot yourself in the dairy/soy free foot (or breast! ha!) by buying the wrong tuna.  Educate yourself!  And go forth and buy soy-free tuna!

Look for tuna packaged in olive oil instead of vegetable broth

No Vegetable (soy) Broth, here!

Mix the ingredients in a bowl... add as much or as little as you like of the mayo and relish.

You can also beef it up a bit by chopping up a boiled egg in there.

(No, eggs are NOT dairy! They come from chickens! Not cows! Even though they are oftentimes found in the "dairy case" at the grocery store... you'll be amazed how many people are surprised by the fact that they are indeed "dairy free!" )



Tuna Salad on a pita! .... quick, easy, slightly smelly, but tasty lunch! :)

Might I suggest following up your tuna salad lunch
with a tasty Dairy/Soy Free mint, such as a tic-tac! :)

Rice Krispie Treats

 

Yummy desserts are hard to come by on a dairy/soy free diet.

And I like dessert.

While I might not always have the time to make my beloved banana bread, it isn't too hard to whip up a batch of these Dairy/Soy Free Rice Krispie Treats!

These babies can thrown together before you can say, "Snap, Crackle, Pop!"
 And they are de-lish! :)

3 Tablespoons Canola Oil

4 cups marshmallows
     (read the labels and pick a non dairy/soy free brand- 
     watch for "natural flavors" and try to avoid if at all possible)

6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
Dash of Vanilla 

In a large stock pot, heat the canola oil over medium low heat.
Add marshmallows.  Stir until melted.
Add a dash of vanilla.  Stir until smooth.
Remove from heat.  Add Rice Krispies.  Mix thoroughly.

Using a paper towel, spread some canola oil in a 13x9 baking dish so the Rice Krispie Treats won't stick to it. (Don't use Pam Spray here... it contains soy)

Use some canola oil to grease the back of the spatula and spread the treats out flat.

Bite the extra pieces off the spatula.   :)

I love having a pan of these around... although, they don't last for long! :)

Chicken Souvlaki (Marinated Grilled Chicken)

The center skewer is chicken souvlaki, the right is bacon wrapped shrimp
and the asparagus is tossed in olive oil and salt and grilled.
This is pretty much our favorite-avorite dairy/soy free meal.

1 lb chicken breasts cuts into 1 inch pieces
3T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t dried oregano
2 t olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag, shake and marinate 30 min. Skewer and grill.

I love this recipe because it's QUICK.  You don't have to marinate overnight or anything like that... it's just 30 minutes and BAM!  Tasty chicken! 
I'm a fan of doubling the recipe and keeping a bag of the cooked chicken in the fridge for pitas or for poppin' in my mouth during one of those "I'm-so-hungry-I-could-eat-a-horse" moments us nursing moms experience.

This chicken is good, yall!  Give it a try! :)

Homemade Popcorn is the BEST!

• There are lots of benefits to homemade popcorn...
• There are no trans-fats
• There are no hydrogenated oils
• It's dairy/soy free!
• It's cheaper than store-bought
• It's tastier than store-bought
• It's just plain FUN to make!!

Here's the instructions we use (You can find it on the back of the bottle of popcorn):

3Tbsp of Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Popping Corn
Large Stockpot
Popcorn Salt

 








1.Use a large stock-pot with lid (we like the non-stick because it's easier to clean afterwards)
2. Measure 3 Tablespoons of canola oil into the saucepan.
Add 3 kernels of popcorn, cover with lid and heat on medium.
Wait until one of the kernels pop.
Now the oil is hot enough to pop your corn!



3. When first kernel pops, lift lid and add 1/2 cup of popcorn, cover with lid and gently shake pan until popping stops.






It's fun to watch the popcorn, POP!









4. Pour popped corn into a large bowl and season to taste. (we add popcorn salt and a little sugar so that it tastes like kettle corn)