Not-So-Caprese Salad

Summer is the time for fresh, ripe, juicy tomatoes and one of my favorite ways to eat summer tomatoes are in a caprese salad- tomatoes, basil and mozzerella cheese. Alas, caprese salad is off the list when trying to avoide Balsam of Peru. So, instead of bemoaning my loss of tomatoes, I came up with the following dish that at least integrates two (basil and cheese) out of the three flavors of a caprese salad. Mangia!

Ingredients:
1 lb. Mozzarella Cheese cut into small cubes
1 big bunch of fresh basil (we like basil in this household so we use a LARGE bunch of basil)
1/2 lb. warm, cooked pasta (I like to use whole wheat)
Drizzling of olive oil to taste
Garlic Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients, dress with olive oil and garlic salt. Let the cheese melt slightly with the warm pasta and voila- summer salad!

FroYo- TCBY

To say that it's hot outside would be an understatement. Here in the Carolinas, we've reached record triple digit temperatures this past week and all I've wanted was some ice cream. Most (if not all) ice cream has a vanilla base and/or vanilla flavoring- a BOP no-no (not to mention not so friendly for the waistline).

Frozen Yogurt is somewhat more redeemable since it does contain live active cultures and (sometimes!) less calories and/or fat. So, in a compromise of heat stroke proportions, I had froyo. Before heading out to TCBY, I checked their ingredient lists online. Be careful on this one- there are more than several flavors containing sodium benzoate (vanilla, strawberry, kiwi strawberry sorbet) and many more that contain citric acid (cheesecake, chocolate, classic tart).

Coffee and Peanut Butter (my personal favorite), however, do not specifically name sodium benzoate or citric acid in their list of ingredients. That's good enough in my book. Frozen Yogurt, here I come!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Casserole

My daughter does not like to eat her veggies. She loves fruits, grains and dairy. She is a good eater (sometimes out eating me!), but when it comes to anything green, leafy or starting with the letter "v" and ending with the letter "e", forget about it! Coupled with her allergies to nuts, soy and eggs, meal time can get a little interesting. The one veggie that my daughter adores is sweet potatoes. I used to think that she'd turn into one big sweet potato because she ate so many as a baby. So, in an effort to get more veggies and vitamins into her, I came up with the following dish:

Ingredients:

1 can sweet potatoes
1 can carrots
1/8 cup butter
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup sugar (more or less to taste)

Directions:

Butter small casserole dish and set aside. Mash sweet potatoes and carrots together. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into buttered casserole dish and top with crumb topping (listed below). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Crumb Topping:

Mix equal parts oatmeal, brown sugar, sugar and flour. Cut in bits of cold butter. Add raisins if desired and top casserole before baking.

Not only is this dish soy, nut and egg free, but it's safe for a BOP free diet, too! Enjoy!

Food Should Taste Good- Sweet Potato Chips

http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/#/sweet_potato/

Have you tried these chips from Food Should Taste Good? These sweet potato chips are DELICIOUS and quite addictive. The ingredient list is simple (Corn, Sunflower oil, Sweet Potato, Corn Bran, Cane Juice and Sea Salt) and best of all, BOP free! So, next time you are invited to a cook-out or BBQ, be sure to bring some of these tasty chips along!

Hot! Hot! HOT!

With scolding hot temps and very high humidity, summer is here in full force! With the hot summer temps comes the need for sunscreen. However, I have yet to find a sunscreen that DOESN'T contain benzoates. Even the Free and Clear brand that I use for soap and shampoo has a sunscreen containing benzoates.

Fourth of July Menu Recap

When dealing with a BOP allergy there are a lot of things you CAN'T eat. However, the purpose of this blog is to point out things that you CAN eat and still avoid BOP. So, when celebrating America's Independence Day, indulge in the following:

-Hamburgers (sans ketchup, mustard, pickles and tomatoes- load up on onions, sprouts, cucumbers, garlic, cheese).
-Tossed Salad dressed with garlic salt and olive oil.
-Bean salad with olive oil and no vinegar.
-Macaroni salad made without mustard or vinegar.
-Fresh Fruit and cream
-Corn Chips, Tortillas, Pretzels
-Pies, crisps and cobblers tend to be okay as long as they are free of vanilla and cinnamon.