Dairy Free Brunch Ideas

[sunflower]

Christie's appetizer thread reminded me that I needed recipe advice as well...rather than hijack her thread I started my own.

Rob and I are doing brunch the day after Thanksgiving for my mom and grandmother and probably his mom as well. Nevermind the fact that I will be burnt out from cooking and eating, and that we have 2 dinners to go to on Thursday, we are still doing this. So I need some easy brunch foods!! Complication - my grandmother cannot have dairy of any type (no butter, milk, etc.) and also claims to be allergic to soy milk, soy cheese, tofu, rice milk and pretty much any other substitute for milk, other than coconut milk. She also alleges a sensitivity to preservatives so everything needs to be made from scratch for the most part.

This makes planning hard, as I haven't been able to find any truly dairy free (also soy free) quiche or frittata recipes, and with all the cooking I need to do this week I don't really have time for experimenting. Does anyone have any suggestions?

We will be serving mainstream foods for the others (hello belgian waffles) but I definitely need a good variety for my grandmother.

[littlebeast13]

This makes planning hard, as I haven't been able to find any truly dairy free (also soy free) quiche or frittata recipes, and with all the cooking I need to do this week I don't really have time for experimenting. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Alas, poor ziggyp11. We knew him well.....


Sal uses his PAF, 50/50, and then guesses wrong on the following:

$1K What is the main ingredient in a traditional frittata?
a. Bread b. Flour
c. Orange juice d. Eggs

The 50/50 left answers B and D.
Sal's PAF yells "go flour" at the last second.


lb13

[peacock2121]

I am struck by how you don't think she is telling you the truth. What's up with that?

I love fruit salad with walnuts or other nuts that you can get your protein from.

PEANUT BUTTER MUFFINS

3 eggs
1 T. coconut oil
5 T. brown sugar
1/4 c. natural peanut butter
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. vanilla
1/4 c. sifted coconut flour
1/4 t. baking powder

Blend together eggs, oil, sugar, peanut butter, salt and vanilla. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. Pour into greased muffin cups. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Makes 6 muffins

[christie1111]

I went to the epicurious website to their advanced search feature which lets you pick how to narrow your search.

I chose brunch and exclude dairy....

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/ ... ash-350650

There were about 300 others, but some do you butter, etc which makes me wonder about the excluding dairy part.

But roasted potatoes and eggs are a common theme.

I thought the leftover turkey was helpful!

[sunflower]

I am struck by how you don't think she is telling you the truth. What's up with that?

First she was allergic to salt. Couldn't have any salt at all, so we all had to go salt free - and this included naturally occurring salt or sodium in any form. Fun.

All of a sudden, it wasn't salt. It was protein. How one can say they are allergic to "protein" is beyond me. So she pretty much stopped eating anything except fruits and veggies, but at least she ate salt.

Now it's dairy...and at first it was okay to eat dairy free items with the pareve (I might be spelling it wrong) symbol. So there was still a green light for some margarines to use in cooking. One day it just occurred to her that it must be all dairy and every preservative. She claims it gives her a rash and makes her hair fall out. My allergist says that's really unlikely, and none of us have ever seen this rash!! She even refuses to take any medication that she feels may contain calcium or preservatives, including the osteoporosis medicine, which is why she keeps breaking bones. My advice is and always has been - we'll get you a wig, but the broken hip, back, ankle, etc is not the right way to go, start taking the medicine!!!

That's why I don't think she is telling the truth!

[peacock2121]

I am struck by how you don't think she is telling you the truth. What's up with that?

First she was allergic to salt. Couldn't have any salt at all, so we all had to go salt free - and this included naturally occurring salt or sodium in any form. Fun.

All of a sudden, it wasn't salt. It was protein. How one can say they are allergic to "protein" is beyond me. So she pretty much stopped eating anything except fruits and veggies, but at least she ate salt.

Now it's dairy...and at first it was okay to eat dairy free items with the pareve (I might be spelling it wrong) symbol. So there was still a green light for some margarines to use in cooking. One day it just occurred to her that it must be all dairy and every preservative. She claims it gives her a rash and makes her hair fall out. My allergist says that's really unlikely, and none of us have ever seen this rash!! She even refuses to take any medication that she feels may contain calcium or preservatives, including the osteoporosis medicine, which is why she keeps breaking bones. My advice is and always has been - we'll get you a wig, but the broken hip, back, ankle, etc is not the right way to go, start taking the medicine!!!

That's why I don't think she is telling the truth!

I get it!

She is nutso and you want to keep her from melting down on your account.

[sunflower]

I am struck by how you don't think she is telling you the truth. What's up with that?

First she was allergic to salt. Couldn't have any salt at all, so we all had to go salt free - and this included naturally occurring salt or sodium in any form. Fun.

All of a sudden, it wasn't salt. It was protein. How one can say they are allergic to "protein" is beyond me. So she pretty much stopped eating anything except fruits and veggies, but at least she ate salt.

Now it's dairy...and at first it was okay to eat dairy free items with the pareve (I might be spelling it wrong) symbol. So there was still a green light for some margarines to use in cooking. One day it just occurred to her that it must be all dairy and every preservative. She claims it gives her a rash and makes her hair fall out. My allergist says that's really unlikely, and none of us have ever seen this rash!! She even refuses to take any medication that she feels may contain calcium or preservatives, including the osteoporosis medicine, which is why she keeps breaking bones. My advice is and always has been - we'll get you a wig, but the broken hip, back, ankle, etc is not the right way to go, start taking the medicine!!!

That's why I don't think she is telling the truth!

I get it!

She is nutso and you want to keep her from melting down on your account.

Pretty much!!

[Estonut]

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I would ask her what you could make for her. If she finds any fault with it, it'll be hers!

[ghostjmf]

Sunflower says:

She even refuses to take any medication that she feels may contain calcium or preservatives, including the osteoporosis medicine, which is why she keeps breaking bones. My advice is and always has been - we'll get you a wig, but the broken hip, back, ankle, etc is not the right way to go, start taking the medicine!!!

You know, when I started taking calcium pills I threw up, & wasn't because I knew they were made out of, like, crab shells & I'm allergic to crab (although in point of fact I am allergic to crab & they are made out of crab shells, though that crab rangoon I didn't know was crab that made me, but nobody else who ate it, so it wasn't just spoiled, so sick definitely wasn't made out of the shells), it was because they made me throw up. For whatever reason.

So now I chew those horrible but vegetable calcium "toffees". They are not really horrible, they're just no excuse for real toffees. But whatever. You might recommend them to grandmother as made out of vegetable matter. The bottom line is that they make me feel I wasted calorie allowance that could have been a nice real toffee (these don't seem to come in diet) but they don't make me throw up.

According to my bone scans I apparently have the bones of a young, healthy ox, I eat a lot of dairy (not being allergic to any part of it) but the doctors say chew the horrid chews & I figure it can't hurt.


You ought to have grandmother checked for celiac disease. This is an allergy, a real one, to gluten. People who have this allergic reaction to gluten get the villi in their intestines ripped up, & can't digest all kinds of things they used to be able to (especially dairy; their ripped up intestines just can't make the right enzymes to break it down). They get very nutrient-poor based on the ripped up intestinal villi.

There's a fairly cheap test for the antibodies to gluten, & there's a probably more-expensive test for the gene for this disease (which isn't always turned on, so it makes sense to test for the antibodies 1st), & there are conclusive tests where they look at intestinal villi.

And then, after months of gluten-free diet, which, if you think what you're going through trying to feed her now is tough, will be a real toughie (no wheat or related grain products whatsoever, & its in everything these days, if not as a primary ingredient, as filler), they look at the antibody levels (& the intestines, if warranted) again.


She may really be feeling lousy, having big stomach pains from practically everything she eats, & trying to just not ever eat again that thing that made her sick last time. Or she may be a nut, as you seem to be convinced. Who knows. I do know I had a friend who had them ruling out all kinds of dire deadly things (this can be deadly too, by the way, if it goes far enough) before they tested for this.

And she says she sometimes gets a rash: There's a particular rash that celiac condition people sometimes get. You can look up the pictures of it on the internet.

[silvercamaro]

Sunflower says:

So now I chew those horrible but vegetable calcium "toffees". They are not really horrible, they're just no excuse for real toffees. But whatever. You might recommend them to grandmother as made out of vegetable matter.

What are these things called, and are they over-the-counter or prescription? They sound like something I would like to try. I know myself, and I'm more likely to chew something than swallow big pills on any regular basis.

[kayrharris]

Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews

is one I know of. Not sure if this is the one ghost uses.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod. ... D=61261485

[Hotseat Or Bust!]

Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews

is one I know of. Not sure if this is the one ghost uses.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod. ... D=61261485

I have tried these, and they really aren't all that bad.

[ghostjmf]

Silvercam says:

What are these things called, and are they over-the-counter or prescription? They sound like something I would like to try. I know myself, and I'm more likely to chew something than swallow big pills on any regular basis.

The calcium chews are definitely over-counter. Mine are the Trader Joe's brand, but if you're not near a TJ's, all health food stores seem to carry them (for more money). I can't recall the name, but in TJ's its their brand anyway. You find them in a box shelved with the pill supplements.

They come in fruit flavor (a mix of strawberry, raspberry & orange individual ones, which I find less hideous because these are not real toffee flavors in my book; well, could be salt-water toffee, but OK), chocolate & caramel.

Looking at the ingredient list (I took this with me for the airline examiners, but somehow forgot the actual medicine toffees this trip) I see: Corn Syrup, Palm Kernel Oil, Citric Acid, Glycerin, mono & diglycerides (vegetable source), natural flavors (strawberry, orange, raspberry) & Soy Lecithin.

Great, Sunflower's grandmother wouldn't eat them because of the soy lecithin.

There is wheat used in the production of soy sauce, though; I don't know if its used to create tofu or not. If Sunflower's grandmother really were to test out as celiac-condition, her aversion to at least some soy products would be justified.

[silvercamaro]

Thank you all very, very much. I will get whichever kind I can find first.

My bones thank you, too.

[sunflower]

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice!

I am still up cooking for tomorrow and Friday. Friday's brunch menu is as follows:

Fresh fruit platter (pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, red grapes)
Fresh veggie platter (carrots, celery, asparagus, grape tomatoes)
Hummus
Cranberry salsa (thanks for the recipe, yum yum!)
Organic tortilla chips
Curry chicken salad
Fresh bread of some sort (that is the only item that will need to be purchased Friday for freshness)
Dairy free broccoli quiche (with uncured preservative free bacon and coconut milk)
Pumpkin bread and cranberry orange nut bread
And for the dairy lovers, the one item we had to have - belgian waffles with strawberries and/or whipped cream

Beverages: OJ, cranberry juice, mimosas, sparkling water, red or white wine

I don't think I'm forgetting anything. It was a busy day of shopping and cooking...I'm still finishing up but am glad that now I can just enjoy the next 2 days!! All I have to do is cut up the fruits and veggies that morning and heat up the quiche. Rob is making the hummus so it's off my mind.

Now I just have to finish my apple pies for tomorrow...pumpkin is done!

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

[silvercamaro]

Friday's brunch menu is as follows:

Fresh fruit platter (pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, red grapes)
Fresh veggie platter (carrots, celery, asparagus, grape tomatoes)
Hummus
Cranberry salsa (thanks for the recipe, yum yum!)
Organic tortilla chips
Curry chicken salad
Fresh bread of some sort (that is the only item that will need to be purchased Friday for freshness)
Dairy free broccoli quiche (with uncured preservative free bacon and coconut milk)
Pumpkin bread and cranberry orange nut bread
And for the dairy lovers, the one item we had to have - belgian waffles with strawberries and/or whipped cream

Beverages: OJ, cranberry juice, mimosas, sparkling water, red or white wine

My dear new best friend and long-lost sister/cousin/freshman college roommate:

This sounds absolutely scrumptious. If I leave now, I think I can get to your house by Friday. Where was it you said you lived again? If I call from the airport, can you talk your grandmother into coming to get me on the way to your house? I promise to listen with great sympathy to whatever list of allergies and ailments she may wish to mention. I also promise to clean my plate, several times.

[Sunflower's Partner]

Friday's brunch menu is as follows:

Fresh fruit platter (pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, red grapes)
Fresh veggie platter (carrots, celery, asparagus, grape tomatoes)
Hummus
Cranberry salsa (thanks for the recipe, yum yum!)
Organic tortilla chips
Curry chicken salad
Fresh bread of some sort (that is the only item that will need to be purchased Friday for freshness)
Dairy free broccoli quiche (with uncured preservative free bacon and coconut milk)
Pumpkin bread and cranberry orange nut bread
And for the dairy lovers, the one item we had to have - belgian waffles with strawberries and/or whipped cream

Beverages: OJ, cranberry juice, mimosas, sparkling water, red or white wine

My dear new best friend and long-lost sister/cousin/freshman college roommate:

This sounds absolutely scrumptious. If I leave now, I think I can get to your house by Friday. Where was it you said you lived again? If I call from the airport, can you talk your grandmother into coming to get me on the way to your house? I promise to listen with great sympathy to whatever list of allergies and ailments she may wish to mention. I also promise to clean my plate, several times.

Would you like me to pick you up? I'll even rent a silver Camaro....

[sunflower]

I won't be good company...after getting 2.5 hours of sleep last night and now being up for almost 24 hours straight, I have a feeling by Friday morning I'll be a zombie!!!! Lol...I guess I can sleep on Saturday.

I just hope it's good, I'm especially worried about the quiche and how the coconut milk will hold up vs heavy cream and cheese. It's the thought that counts, right? Heck I'll just eat the waffles, I'll be happy!

[littlebeast13]

I won't be good company...after getting 2.5 hours of sleep last night and now being up for almost 24 hours straight, I have a feeling by Friday morning I'll be a zombie!!!! Lol...I guess I can sleep on Saturday.

It sounds like you're following my normal Thursday sleeping schedule......

lb13

[ulysses5019]

I won't be good company...after getting 2.5 hours of sleep last night and now being up for almost 24 hours straight, I have a feeling by Friday morning I'll be a zombie!!!! Lol...I guess I can sleep on Saturday.

It sounds like you're following my normal Thursday sleeping schedule......

lb13

You mean you sleep?!?!?

[littlebeast13]

I won't be good company...after getting 2.5 hours of sleep last night and now being up for almost 24 hours straight, I have a feeling by Friday morning I'll be a zombie!!!! Lol...I guess I can sleep on Saturday.

It sounds like you're following my normal Thursday sleeping schedule......

lb13

You mean you sleep?!?!?

I have been known to... usually during thos ehours when that great yellow ball of fire is in the sky....

And you had to mention Kay, and I saw her name pop up on the lurkers list for a few minutes! Speaking of never sleeping.....

And this is my 5,000th post on this version of the Bored. I can't believe I had that much to say in the past 60 weeks....

lb13

[sunflower]

Last pie is out of the oven...I'm going to sleep!!!!! At least now I can sleep until 10, well assuming I can sleep at all, I'm strangely not at all tired but my body is, my legs are like dead weights.

[peacock2121]

This is one of the reasons I do not have fond memories of this holiday. I just always recall people being stressed and tired and snappish.

Hoping you really enjoy the pleasure all of your work brings to your guests.

[sunflower]

Pea - I agree with you...it's not my favorite holiday either. It seems so much has to be done and it's always in the middle of the week, which makes it seem worse.

[ghostjmf]

By the way, as far me practising medicine without a license again:

I have a vested interest in celiac condition, not only because a friend really has it but because my brother was said to have it as a baby. The thing is, back then, they didn't have an antibody test, they didn't have a genetic test, & they didn't look at his baby intestines; they just found something he actually could digest, which turned out to be bananas, & that's what he ate for the 1st couple years of life. They wrote this up in an article I have to hunt up; patient's name is disguised, but city & year aren't. I don't know the doctor's name, of course, though.

My dad had a really interesting time, with stories to tell, buying those life-saving bananas during WWII. He had a prescription for them. Most of South & Central America was under embargo because of German control of the shipping from those places.

I have strongly suggested to my brother get tested for this now, which he has strongly resisted, largely because the treatment (don't get anywhere near anything containing gluten) is really hard to adhere to. His recent stomach troubles are supposedly cured by the removal of an undisputably stoned-up gall bladder. The doctors tell him the blocked gall bladder could have been the reason he's had a lot of trouble digesting dairy products recently. We'll see.

He could also have had, as a baby, any one of a number of intestine structural problems which sometimes right themselves as the infant grows. And celiac condition does turn itself on & off mysteriously during life (a recent TV show medical expert cited exposure to adenovirus as something that turns it on). The test would really tell us something, even if he refused to stick to the diet.

I've asked my doctor to test me for this too, but been refused, as I don't have symptoms (my skin condition does not look like the celiac rash). Which is stupid, because the condition is genetic.

There is a $400 genetic test out there these days for "every medical condition known to man" (Google's Sergei Brin's wife co-owns the company, so it gets a lot of press) & celiac condition is one of them, but I'd like to have my insurance pay for the cheaper antibody test, darn it.

The thing is, a lot of people with celiac condition don't have any outward symptoms, but some experts insist, based on some scientific evidence, that you can prevent future intestinal cancer (from irritation of the intestines) by diagnosing this & going on the no-gluten diet.