allergen friendly pesto

Allergen Friendly Pesto

When you’re attempting a diet that’s as restrictive as an elimination diet you are going to have to give up quite a few things. A couple months into mine I got a strong craving for anything pesto. Unfortunately, traditional pesto is almost exclusively things that are eliminated. Parmesan cheese is dairy, pine nuts are out, the usual exchange of walnuts is out, lemon juice is forbidden. Especially for me, apparently I’m one of the few freaks out there allergic to lemons! This is an allergen friendly pesto recipe that takes away all of those triggers and is safe for phase one of an elimination diet.

This pesto is also completely vegan without the parmesan cheese. It’s really versatile and will be able to serve any of your friends’ picky dietary needs. It’s perfect for company and no one will have any complaints!

If you are also eliminating garlic this recipe will survive without it. If you taste it and it lacks punch add a tsp more vinegar. Overall, I think this pesto tastes a bit earthier than others I’ve tried but it still has that strong basil flavor and beautiful green color. I spread it over boneless skinless chicken breasts and baked at 400 for half an hour. I also tossed it with pasta. But feel free to use it any way you would normally use pesto! Once you introduce more ingredients back into your elimination diet it goes absolutely great on a flatbread or instead of nightshade heavy sauces for pizza! It also of course works for the simple and traditional pesto pasta.

So how in the world do you make pesto without 3 of the main ingredients? Turns out, pretty easily. Just get out your food processor and combine together these simple ingredients. Make sure to use high quality fresh basil. You’ll be using a bunch of it, I like to buy mine from the Korean market, they have much better prices on bulk fresh herbs than the Kroger or other chain grocery stores. Take a look at your local specialty markets.

Do not use dried basil! This is not a substitution that can be made for this recipe!

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buy basil through whole foods
buy basil through whole foods

Pesto FAQ

What’s the difference between basil and Thai basil?

A lot! For this allergen friendly pesto recipe you’re going to want to use Italian sweet basil, not Thai basil. You’ll recognize the wide flat leaves, much rounder than the sharp edges of Thai basil. Thai basil also has purple stems while Italian sweet basil is all green.

Italian sweet basil smells slightly peppery or somewhat like the spiciness of cloves. Thai basil smells more like anise. This pesto works best with the sweet basil, the leaves are much more delicate and easily blend into a sauce form. I also like to use sweet basil in this Blueberry and Basil Oat Cobbler.

Is pesto healthy?

This is always a loaded question because it really depends on your dietary needs. This particular allergen friendly pesto sauce recipe is healthy for those who need a lot of substitutions. It is also lower in fat than a lot of other recipes since it uses less fatty seeds instead of nuts, no cheese, and less olive oil. So if you’re looking for a lower fat alternative this recipe is also healthy.

Can you freeze pesto?

Absolutely. I like to make a double batch and freeze half for an easy dinner later on. Simply thaw it out and use like you would any fresh sauce when you’re ready. As with any frozen food make sure to keep an eye on your freezer rotation and don’t leave it to collect frost.

What ingredient is in a traditional pesto sauce?

Basil. Basil is the most important ingredient to make a pesto, pesto.

Is pesto vegan?

Traditionally, no. Parmesan cheese usually makes this recipe not vegan. This recipe, however, uses nutritional yeast and can be safe for a vegan diet.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed fresh basil
  • 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp water, if needed

Instructions

  1. Simply blend all ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth
  2. use on chicken, pasta, pizza, anything pesto!
allergen friendly pesto

Allergen Friendly Pesto

Prep Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

2 cups packed fresh basil

    3 tbsp sunflower seeds

      3 cloves garlic

        2 tbsp white wine vinegar

          4 tbsp nutritional yeast

            ½ tsp salt (or to taste)

              3 tbsp olive oil

                2 tbsp water, if needed

                  Instructions
                   

                  Simply blend all ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth

                    use on chicken, pasta, pizza, anything pesto!

                      Keyword citrus free, nut free, vegan
                      rate this recipe!
                      Nightshade free pasta sauce

                      Nightshade Free Pasta Sauce

                      Doing an elimination diet was very enlightening for me. One of the things I discovered is that I’ve been harboring a tomato allergy for who knows how long. Tomatoes also seem to have been the culprit for a large percentage of my acne! That means that figuring out a nightshade free pasta sauce recipe also became mandatory.

                      Because that means if I want to remain acne and rash free I have to give up a lot of my favorite foods. Pizza, pasta, BBQ sauce, so many delicious tomato based saucey dishes. I am not the kind of person to just give in though so I’ve managed to come up with nightshade free alternatives for all of these. 

                      This nightshade free pasta sauce can be used at the beginning of any elimination diet. Once you can eat wheat you can use it over standard pasta but you could use it over zucchini noodles (zoodles) just as easily and have a completely fair game phase one elimination diet meal right from the start!

                      I looked through a ton of “nomato” sauce recipes and almost all of them use beets. I was very hesitant to try this because I really don’t like beets. I’ve always thought they taste like dirt. I still think that, honestly. But I have figured out a couple of tricks to neutralize the taste. First make sure to scrub and peel your beets. Or you can use canned beets which have already taken care of that for you. Second, cook them all the way down, you want to bring out their sugar. Third, acid, any time you’re cooking beets use vinegar. I also noticed that the beet flavor wasn’t as strong the next day. Try refrigerating the sauce over night to let all the other flavors merge before serving.

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                      buy a zucchini spiraler on amazon
                      buy a zucchini spiraler on amazon

                      Do canned foods have less nutritional value?

                      No! This is a common myth. People like to believe that fresh, raw, unpreserved, etc is always better. The simple fact is that this is not true. Canned and frozen foods are typically preserved at the peak of freshness. They are preserved when the fruits and vegetables are at their most ripe and therefore most nutrient dense.

                      When you buy fresh produce it is often before or after it’s peak date. Additionally, these foods are shipped in a wide range of temperature conditions which cause the foods to ripen unnaturally or rot faster. Foods that are to be sold “fresh” are also often picked before they are ripe in order to ripen on the journey instead, this stunts their nutritional growth.

                      Some companies artificially induce the ripening process with various chemical compounds. If you’re looking for completely untainted food the only way to do it is to grow your own. But buying canned and frozen is not a strategy to ignore. Many companies that grow for the can and freezer market actually have a more natural ripening process and in many ways might be even better for you than so called fresh produce. So go ahead! Buy that can of beets for this nightshade free pasta sauce recipe. It’s good for you and so much easier!

                      source: Healthline: Canned Food: Good or Bad?

                      Are beets good for you?

                      Absolutely! Beets are full of nutrients and fiber that make them a healthy addition to any diet. They’re known for their anti-inflammatory properties which make them great for joint pain and health concerns like high blood pressure. Beet juice is an often studied beverage that many people swear by as the perfect drink for exercise recovery.

                      I personally don’t love beets, I think they’re an acquired taste, but if you do make sure to include them in your diet. It’s always great to add some extra plant based fiber into your meals and this pasta sauce recipe aids in that goal.

                      source: Cleveland Clinic

                      Ingredients

                      • 1 yellow onion
                      • 1 large beet or one 15 oz can sliced beets, drained
                      • 2 carrots
                      • ½ tsp dried basil
                      • ½ tsp dried oregano
                      • ¼ tsp dried marjoram
                      • ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
                      • 1 tsp dried parsley
                      • 1 ½ tsp salt
                      • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
                      • 2 tsp honey
                      • dash cinnamon
                      • olive oil
                      • up to 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth

                      Instructions

                      1. coarsely chop the onions, beets, and carrots 
                      2. heat your cast iron or nonstick skillet with the olive oil
                      3. saute the vegetables in the olive oil until the beets are soft enough to cut with a spoon, the larger the chop the longer this will take but the deeper the flavor will be, if the veggies start to stick use a little of the vegetable broth to release them. If using canned beets add them to the carrots and onion after the carrots begin to brown
                      4. add the dry seasonings to the hot pan and stir to blend
                      5. transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender, add the vinegar and honey
                      6. blend well while slowly adding the vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached
                      Nightshade free pasta sauce

                      Nightshade Free Pasta Sauce

                      Prep Time 10 minutes
                      Cook Time 30 minutes
                      Course Main Course
                      Cuisine Italian
                      Servings 4 Servings

                      Ingredients
                        

                      • 1 yellow onion
                      • 1 large beet or one 15 oz can sliced beets drained
                      • 2 carrots
                      • ½ tsp dried basil
                      • ½ tsp dried oregano
                      • ¼ tsp dried marjoram
                      • ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
                      • 1 tsp dried parsley
                      • 1 ½ tsp salt
                      • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
                      • 2 tsp honey
                      • dash cinnamon
                      • olive oil
                      • up to 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth

                      Instructions
                       

                      • coarsely chop the onions, beets, and carrots heat your cast iron or nonstick skillet with the olive oil
                      • saute the vegetables in the olive oil until the beets are soft enough to cut with a spoon, the larger the chop the longer this will take but the deeper the flavor will be, if the veggies start to stick use a little of the vegetable broth to release them.
                      • If using canned beets add them to the carrots and onion after the carrots begin to brown
                      • add the dry seasonings to the hot pan and stir to blend
                      • transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender, add the vinegar and honey
                      • blend well while slowly adding the vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached
                      Keyword citrus free, nightshade free recipes, sauce
                      rate this recipe!
                      vegan nut free alfredo sauce

                      Vegan, Nut Free, Alfredo Sauce

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                      There are a lot of ways to make vegan cheese substitutes. The problem, for an elimination diet, is that most of them use cashews or soy. I searched using so many different key word searches trying to find one that would fit this diet but also sounded edible. I honestly am not a huge fan of vegan cheese like substances. I find them to be a poor approximation of what I really want. But this vegan, nut free, alfredo sauce actually does the job right.

                      I found a recipe similar to this one that I thought I could work with. I added more nutritional yeast for a bolder flavor and substituted arrowroot powder for the corn starch to make it an elimination diet friendly recipe. Make sure to blend the arrowroot powder and water first or you’ll get lumps in your sauce! Arrowrooot powder might become your new staple even post elimination diet. Not only is it corn free but it is also completely flavorless which means you can use it in both sweet and savory recipes completely worry free.

                      When I first tasted this vegan, nut free, alfredo sauce I was shocked. It really does have a cheesy flavor! And it doesn’t taste like coconut at all so don’t worry about that part. My boyfriend hates coconut and he didn’t even notice that this one had any coconut flavor. The nutritional yeast seems to cancel it out well and the garlic powder really helps  bring it all together. I used it for this chicken and broccoli casserole but you can use it on pasta, or anything that could use some cheese sauce! This vegan nut free alfredo sauce is a great way to make phase one elimination diet meals feel like comfort food.

                      Ingredients

                      Instructions

                      1. In a saucepan over low heat stir together coconut milk, salt, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast until well combined
                      2. bring to a low boil
                      3. whisk together arrowroot powder and cold water
                      4. add arrowroot powder to coconut milk blend
                      5. continue to stir at a low boil until sauce begins to thicken
                      6. use for pasta, casseroles, anything you want to be creamy!
                      vegan nut free alfredo sauce

                      Vegan Nut Free Alfredo Sauce

                      Prep Time 2 minutes
                      Cook Time 15 minutes
                      Course Main Course
                      Cuisine Italian
                      Servings 5 servings

                      Ingredients
                        

                      1 can, 13.5 oz, full fat coconut milk

                        1 tsp salt

                          ½ tsp garlic powder

                            2 tbsp nutritional yeast

                              2 tsp arrowroot powder

                                1 tbsp cold water

                                  Instructions
                                   

                                  In a saucepan over low heat stir together coconut milk, salt, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast until well combined

                                    bring to a low boil

                                      whisk together arrowroot powder and cold water

                                        add arrowroot powder to coconut milk blend

                                          continue to stir at a low boil until sauce begins to thicken

                                            use for pasta, casseroles, anything you want to be creamy!

                                              Keyword corn free, gluten free, vegan
                                              rate this recipe!