The Super Allergy Girl Allergy & Celiac Cookbook

I wanted to share the post below from our Truly Pure & Natural blog about carrying The Super Allergy Girl Allergy & Celiac Cookbook. I've had the cookbook pictured on our sidebar since I discovered it and I've mentioned it several times in different posts. I shared the wonderful chocolate cake recipe from the cookbook here.

We're happy to announce that we're now carrying The Super Allergy Girl Cookbook: Gluten-free Casein-free Nut-free by Lisa A. Lundy. This is absolutely my favorite allergy cookbook. I still remember being in a health food store at the beach, and Nick calling me over to look at a flier on the bulletin board for this cookbook. I knew I had to have it! It turned out to be the first good cookbook I'd found that covered all of our allergy needs.

Here is a review I wrote on Amazon back on August 11, 2008:

"This cookbook has been a lifesaver for our family. Our son has autism and is on a gluten/casein-free diet and our daughter is gluten intolerant. There are plenty of GFCF cookbooks out there and we did okay with finding meals that they could eat.

Then, our baby was diagnosed with food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs, and that changed everything! I tried baking GFCF desserts without eggs and had one disaster after the other. I eventually found a few things that worked, but I still needed more recipes.

I was thrilled to discover this cookbook because it addresses all of our allergies. I've made many recipes from it, and every single one so far has been a hit with the kids. We've enjoyed the main dishes (the General Tso's Chicken is amazing!), the snack mixes are great, and the desserts are delicious. I'd given up on trying to make brownies without wheat or eggs, but there are two brownie recipes in this book, and they're both incredible.

I've recommended this cookbook to many people. The only thing I'd point out is that some of the recipes call for Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which we don't use, or, alternately, soy sauce. Regular soy sauce has wheat in it, so it's important to look for wheat-free Tamari Soy Sauce, if avoiding wheat or gluten."

Lisa not only has over 200 recipes in her book, she also offers so much helpful information on food allergies, celiac disease, equipping your kitchen, where to find ingredients, tips for saving time and money, how to work with allergy recipes and how to measure gluten-free flours. She also has an extensive section on rotation diets and food families.

One of the ways that this cookbook really helped us was to provide recipes for special occasions. The chocolate cake recipe is wonderful and has been the perfect cake for many birthdays in our house. The chocolate chip cookies and the brownies are delicious treats, too. There are many muffin recipes that the kids love, and we just make them in mini-muffin tins and pop them in the freezer so that they're ready when we need them. There are even candy recipes that we've used for holidays. It's just been nice to have treats so that the kids didn't always feel different or left out during various social occasions.

There are also many delicious main dish recipes that we've used over the years, plus many good dressings and dips, which have helped our family since it's hard to find dressings and such that are allergy-friendly.

I also have to mention that Lisa is one of the nicest people ever. Although we haven't met, I've contacted her a number of times with questions, comments, and more questions...and she's always been so willing to help in any way she could. She knows her stuff and has lived with more food allergies in her children than I can even imagine, and she does so much to help other parents deal with food allergies. It's a pleasure to carry her book, and I hope that it helps others as much as it's helped us.

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Middle Eastern Lentils

Lentils are one of my favorite comfort foods, and I've been craving them lately. This is a recipe that I've been making for years. It may sound strange to serve a cold salad over a hot entree, but I think it's delicious!


Middle Eastern Lentils

2 lge onions, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 c brown rice
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups lentils, sorted & rinsed
4 cups water
1 bunch romaine or green/red leaf lettuce
2 med tomatoes, diced
1 med cucumber, peeled & thinly sliced
2 scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 tsp raw honey or agave syrup


In a large pot, sauté the onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil until soft and
golden. Add rice and salt, and continue cooking over medium heat
for three minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in lentils and water.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until the rice and lentils
are tender, about 50 minutes.

Tear the lettuce, and mix with the tomatoes, cucumber, and scallions.

In a small jar, mix 2 Tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, paprika,
mustard, garlic, salt, and sweetener. Shake well.

Toss the salad with the dressing.

To serve, place a spoonful of the
hot lentil mixture on a plate and top with a generous serving of salad.

Mexican Beans and Rice

A hearty meal on a cold day. You control the heat with the salsa used.


Mexican Beans and Rice


2 cups cooked black beans
1 cups corn
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 16-oz jar salsa
3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
4oz green chilies, chopped (opt)
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin



Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large
casserole dish; mix well. Bake for one hour, until casserole
thickens.

Soothing Red Lentil Soup

I love red lentils as much as green, and this soup just hits the spot on a cold day.

Soothing Red Lentil Soup

2 - 3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 cups red lentils, rinsed well
8 cups water or GF vegetable stock (or a mixture of both)
4-6 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cups thinly sliced spinach or chard
2 - 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp sea salt

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot; sauté onion for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder and sauté for a minute or so.

Add red lentils and water or stock. Add carrots; cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Turn off heat; add greens, lemon, and sea salt. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes to let the greens to soften.

Chickpea Soup

I don't think that this soup sounds particularly appealing but it's one of my favorites. Somehow, the ingredients just work together to create something delicious!

Chickpea Soup

1 small onion, chopped
4 ½ cups GF vegetable stock
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 lge tomato, diced
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 potato, diced
¼ cup parsley, fresh, finely minced
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt

In a large pot, cook onion in 1/2 cup stock until it is soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until potato and cabbage are tender, about 15 minutes.

Ladle 3 cups of soup into the Vitamix and blend until smooth. Return to pot, stir to mix, and serve.

Split Pea Dal

I don't know how many of us out there love split peas and curry, but for those who do, this recipe is warming and delicious.

It's a grain-free recipe if served plain, without the brown rice.

Split Pea Dal

1 cup split peas
2 cups water or stock
1 cup onion, chopped
1 Tbsp garlic cloves, peeled & minced
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp olive oil

Brown rice, cooked (opt.)

Sort and wash split peas. Place in a pot with water or stock, onion, and garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for one hour.

Add salt, and stir until the peas are pureed.

In a small skillet, heat the oil; remove from heat; add curry and stir until it foams. Stir into the split pea puree and mix well. Add more sea salt, if necessary.

Serve over brown rice, if desired.

Carrot Soup

Nick and I both love this soup. The kids, not so much. We don't complain about that. That just means that we get to go back for seconds!

Carrot Soup

2 qts GF vegetable stock

6 med carrots, sliced

2 lge onion, chopped

2 med red potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry powder

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp sea salt

In a large soup pot, combine all of the ingredients except the lemon juice and sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat.

Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30-45 minutes. Add the lemon juice and sea salt to taste. Puree the soup in the Vitamix until completely smooth.

Enjoy!