Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Better than chocolate?!?

Below is a magazine article I recently drafted and which I thought I’d share, since this time of year is resplendent with chocolate in so many forms J. 

Ironically, very recently I discovered another possible substitute for chocolate, which comes from the Brazilian cupuaçu tree; I will investigate further and share what I learn!!

****************************************

What’s better than chocolate?  I have food allergies to cocoa and sugar but really don’t want to give up that yummy confection.  Fortunately, I’ve found something at least as good to take chocolate’s place – and it’s healthier, too!

Like me, you may have thought that carob isn’t as sweet or doesn’t taste as good as chocolate.  However, I’ve recently been experimenting with carob in various forms and have been happily surprised at how wonderful it tastes and how easy it is to use.  Best of all, carob has more fiber and fewer calories than chocolate, no caffeine, is low in fat, and is high in potassium, calcium, and niacin as well as having antioxidant properties.

Carob comes from the dried pod of a Mediterranean evergreen tree and sometimes is known as St. John’s Bread because rumor has it that John the Baptist subsisted on them in the desert – some versions of the Bible refer to his eating “locusts”, and this makes sense because carob is where we get that “locust bean gum” so often seen in the ingredients list of innumerable packaged foods.  Carob is in fact a member of the legume (pea/bean) family, Fabaceae.  Though most carob trees grown for commercial use are found in the Middle East, carob thrives in temperate or subtropical areas and so is also grown in Australia and Southern Europe.

Most amazing to me was the discovery that carob is available not only in powder form but also as chips (like chocolate chips), molasses or syrup, and even flour for baking.  Carob powder and carob flour (coarser than the powder) are made from grinding the dried carob pod after the beans have been removed, whereas carob molasses is carob powder that has been boiled in water until it becomes thick like honey.

My introduction to carob was via the powder form – looking much like cocoa powder – which, when mixed into a cup of hot milk sweetened with a little agave, made a satisfying version of “hot chocolate”.  More recently, though, I discovered carob molasses (sometimes called carob syrup, and usually found in Middle Eastern grocery stores, though there are several brands available online too); a generous teaspoonful of carob molasses stirred into hot milk (no sweetener needed) has actually made me forget how much I’d been missing my morning cup of “real” cocoa.

Carob powder can be used in place of cocoa powder in just about any recipe, with a rich taste that, quite honestly, now tastes just like chocolate to me (though maybe that’s because I haven’t eaten real chocolate in so long?).  For more fiber, less fat, and a sweeter taste than if you used cocoa powder, substitute ¼ c. carob flour for other types of flour per cup in baked goods.

Carob molasses can replace sugar cane/blackstrap molasses and doesn’t have that bitter aftertaste; I’ve used it in Boston Baked Beans and in cakes with no complaints from the diners gobbling them down.  Another delicious use for carob molasses is to mix it with tahini (ground sesame seeds) to make a substitute for peanut butter – I came up with this idea on my own, and later discovered that people in the Middle East and Mediterranean have been eating it like that for centuries, calling it “Dibs Kharoub u Tahineh”.  They also use carob to make cold drinks, liqueurs, and various types of candies.

My favorite form of carob, however, is chips (preferably unsweetened, though they are also available sweetened with barley malt). I use them just like chocolate chips in all sorts of cooking, and I melt them in the microwave with a bit of water and then stir in a tiny bit of cream to make a smooth and delectable “chocolate” sauce – great to dip fresh fruit or poured over ice cream.

Lastly, if saying goodbye to chocolate bars is too painful, there are carob bars and candies sold commercially that will gratify your sweet tooth without the negative effects of cocoa and sugar.  You can also combine carob powder with nut butters and other ingredients to make your own candy bar or even fudge.  I’ve made a kind of cross between the two which I swear tastes just like Hershey’s chocolate bar with almonds – and I love that I can eat it guilt-free.

With all the diverse and tasty ways to use carob, it’s no wonder that in ancient times the Greeks weighed gold and gemstones against the seed of the Middle Eastern carob tree, giving us the standard measure “carat” still used today to weigh diamonds.  I know that carob shines in my kitchen, and I’m sure it will in yours too – give it a try!

Some Recipes Using Carob:

1)  Carob Almond “Hershey” Bars – No-bake, easy-to-make dessert or anytime treat!

     1 c. almond butter
     ¼ c. light agave syrup, or honey                                 
     ¼ c. carob powder, unsweetened
     ¼ c. ground nuts (same type as nut butter used)
     ¼ c. chopped nuts (same type as nut butter used)
     2 Tb. toasted sesame seeds (optional)
     2 Tb. raisins (optional)

     Combine nut butter and agave or honey in a bowl till well blended.  Stir in carob powder, ground nuts, chopped nuts, and sesame seeds (if using).  Mixture will be thick and pliable.  Using a metal spoon, press into 8” x 8” in. glass baking pan; make sure no “thin spots” are visible.  Press raisins, if using, onto top.  Chill for 2 hours, then cut into 1” squares. Can be eaten as is, but to approximate “Hershey bar”, freeze larger squares for several hours and eat straight from the freezer.

     Variation:  Substitute peanuts throughout, including “butter”, and leave out sesame seeds (raisins optional).

Prep time: 15 mins   Chill time: 2 hrs   Yield: Approximately 20 one-inch squares


2)    Carob Zucchini Muffins – Moist, not overly sweet, these look and taste like chocolate, but are better for you!

½ c. milk (any type)                                        
¼ tsp. white vinegar
½ c. room-temperature butter
½ c. vegetable oil
1¾ c. granulated sugar (cane OR beet; if using date sugar, increase to 2 c.)
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2½ c. all-purpose wheat flour OR 2¼ c. oat or sorghum flour
     4 Tb. carob powder, unsweetened
     1 tsp. baking soda
     ¼ tsp. cinnamon (optional)
     ½ tsp. salt
     2 c. finely grated zucchini
     1 c. carob chips (sweetened, if preferred)
     ¼ c. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

     Preheat oven 325ºF.  Line large muffin pan with paper or foil muffin cups.  In small bowl, mix milk and vinegar and set aside.  In large bowl, mix together butter, oil, and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla, and milk/vinegar mixture; blend well.  In separate bowl, mix  flour, carob powder, baking soda, cinnamon (if using), and salt.  Add to the butter mixture and stir by hand to combine.  Add grated zucchini and ¾ of the carob chips; stir well.  Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups till ⅔ full.  Sprinkle remaining carob chips and nuts (if using) on top. Bake wheat flour muffins for 20 minutes, oat or sorghum muffins for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

     Prep time: 15 mins   Bake time: 20-35 mins   Yield: 12 large muffins

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Surprises abound

If you are anything like me, spending a lot of time learning to live well despite multiple food allergies in the family, you’ve discovered that many surprises await us, some of them quite unpleasant but some of them causing a kind of “wow” moment when a welcome piece of new information gives us hope for the future.

Yesterday I had a couple of the “unpleasant” food-allergy surprises, but I also had some of the wonderful “wow” ones too; maybe the latter will give you the lift you’ve been needing, as they did for me:

I had finally made it over to the food co-op and Whole Foods Market that are closest to my house (translation: they’re on the other side of town and I just can’t get there as often as I would like).  I always want to stay a long enough time to take full advantage once I’m there.  Aside from needing to replenish some of my pantry items, I also was interested in looking at items that I have been writing about in the “substitutions” section of my soon-to-be-finished food allergy cookbook, both to compare costs and to investigate ingredients.

Among the unpleasant surprises were how so many products are still so expensive, despite the increasing availability of choices for multiple food allergy sufferers.  Another was the discovery that “Ener-G Egg Replacer”, so often touted in food allergy cookbooks as a replacement for eggs, has potato starch listed as its first ingredient.  I knew that most commercially sold “gluten-free” flour and baking mixes contain potato starch – a big allergen in our family – but I didn’t suspect egg replacer would have it, and I was immediately thankful that I know of many other alternatives to replace eggs.

On the brighter, “wow” side of surprises, though, I found a bunch of newly-available products in Whole Foods, all made by a company called Coconut Secret, offering excellent alternative sweeteners, salty-flavored but saltless seasonings, and even vinegar.  Their “coconut nectar” first caught my eye, as a great low-glycemic option similar to agave nectar/syrup.  Then I noticed that unlike Bragg’s “Liquid Aminos”, which is made from soy, and unlike soy sauce which often contains wheat as well, Coconut Secret’s “Coconut Aminos” serve the same salty-tasting seasoning sauce purpose but is both soy-free and gluten-free.  I also saw that Coconut Secret also produces crystallized coconut sugar and a bottled coconut cream that doesn’t need to be refrigerated and can give you that creamy texture and taste you want without having to use up a whole can of coconut milk at one time.

I went online today to look up this exciting company and found a few more surprises – like the fact that when they started production they had been relying on agave syrup as a sweetener and then learned that their supposedly “reputable” raw, organic agave producer was actually selling them agave syrup which was not only NOT raw nor organic but also was watered down with corn syrup!  As that’s one of my worst food allergens, I’m now going to be extra careful to check out any agave items I buy. 

Coconut Secret also produces coconut sugar (made from the raw sap of coconut tree blossoms) and is the only other source I’ve found for that, aside from my current favorite which is produced by a company headquartered here in my home town of Pittsburgh: Love Street Living Foods.  Lastly, while I know that a food allergy to coconut is relatively rare (though unfortunately it’s one of the many that my mother has) and that coconut sugar is low on the glycemic index, I was not aware that coconut also offers a variety of health benefits including heart-healthy short- and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), insoluble dietary fiber which therefore has no calories, support for the body’s absorption of nutrients, and healing properties that can aid functioning of both the immune system and thyroid.

I’m not one to take claims at face value, of course, so I will continue to investigate this company and its products, but it was definitely one of yesterday’s hope-inspiring surprises.  I’d love to hear your thoughts and to learn of any discoveries you’ve made in your own ongoing quest for food allergy substitutes – please don’t hesitate to use the comment box below!!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Is adaptability too much to ask?

I’m thrilled to see from the “stats” register on this blog that I’ve had 15 pageviews from Europe, in addition to those from the US and Australia!  Thank you, everyone, and please don’t forget to leave comments or ask questions about anything food allergy-related J 

Also, please be sure to use the link to become a “follower” on the blog, so you can keep up on new posts!

Today’s short post (I’m aiming for short, anyway) is really more of a question:  I’ve recently been looking at the websites and blogs of some of the most well-known and respected food allergy authors of current times; is it just me, or do they really seem to skirt (or ignore altogether) the topic of food allergies BEYOND the “Top 8”?

Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free etc. are great, and needed, but what about people who not only have to avoid those “common” food allergies but also must steer clear of some less commonly-known ones like potato, quinoa, sorghum, green peas, tomato, citrus, peppers, beef, turkey?  Granted, the majority of those particular ingredients aren’t found in baked goods, so the authors specializing in gluten-free recipes might be somewhat let off the hook, but my point is that if a person is allergic to ANY food/ingredient other than the “Top 8”, can’t they be offered alternatives in recipes such that the recipe can still be used, simply “adapted” to accommodate diverse food allergies?

For example, yesterday I made some delicious and very quick chocolate chip cookies for my kids to have when they got home from school – I got the recipe from Nicolette Dumke’s book Allergy Cooking With Ease – and though the recipe calls for rye flour and maple syrup, I know that if I wanted to make these for my mom, both ingredients would have to be replaced.  There are at least four flours I can think of to replace the rye (spelt or oat, which she can eat, and barley or sorghum, which she can’t but which would still be OK for my wheat-allergic daughter and me).  The maple syrup could be replaced with date sugar or date molasses, corn syrup, or brown rice syrup, which though lacking in maple flavor would still make the cookies yummy and the right consistency.  By the way, the recipe called for carob chips, which I did use, but obviously chocolate chips would be OK too.  My daughter liked the cookies so much she said she’d eat them even without chips LOL.

I’d love to hear your comments on the dearth of “adaptable” recipes currently available for food allergy sufferers – or am I the only one who is bothered by it?!?

Thursday, December 2, 2010

A fall-flavored treat

I can't believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone -- it was a busy one here, but recovering from a houseful of people staying over for a few days was easy compared to recovering from the colds several of us acquired or shared during that same time.  The family that blows its nose together stays together?!?

Not much was new on our table this Thanksgiving, except for a yummy frosted squash cake that my kids helped me make -- see the recipe on the "Adaptable recipes" page.  It doesn't have to be frosted, and doesn't have to be made with squash (yams will do nicely) though my favorite version is pumpkin with cream cheese frosting.  Let me know how you like it!!