Anybody cooking non-dairy for allergies?

Well, I'm off dairy for a while now.

Unfortunately, I'm kinda dying for some creamy polenta or spoonbread - something like that.

I feel I could get a good deal of richness in the polenta with egg - maybe some EVOO. But I'm not quite sure how to put it together.

Would appreciate some advice. No dairy means, nothing that came from a cow's udder. Seems like goat is out too, and I guess sheep - so no milk based products. Eggs are just fine.

Or, if I get lucky, I'll give you my recipe.

Nancy

Hmm, I would think you could get creaminess just from the polenta itself. Use a good, rich stock - chicken maybe? Mushrooms always seem to add oomph too, maybe make a mushroom ragout to ladle over it. Drizzle it with a really good oil when you are done (maybe even truffle oil if you have it). I bet you won't miss the dairy.

Try Jewish Cookbooks or recipes and look for either meat or parev recipes as the kosher laws don't allow the mix of dairy and meat. When I cook at my daughter's or for my daughter who keeps kosher I have used non dairy creamer instead of milk in things like mashed potatoes. I have also used vanilla soy milk in corn bread and some other sweets. I have made cakes using ground almonds which keeps the cake parev. I have also made Giada's from Everyday Italian, citrus olive oil cake.
Paulette

Nondairy creamer can add some richness (read labels because some still have lactose or other dairy ingredients -- buying kosher "pareve" products will ensure completely nondairy).

You can also add smoothness and cheeselike textures with soft tofu.

Hi,

Still gonna see how it freezes and reheats, but it ate well last night.

I have falled in love with a recipe for "Spoonbread" from "Frank Stitt's Southern Table" - an excellent cookbook.

I ended up making a spoonbread last night using:
veal broth (in place of cream and buttermilk) - homemade and tons of gelatin.
EVOO (in place of butter)
water
grits (hoppin johns from the internet -great)
salt
baking powder
baking soda
eggs

It isn't quite as creamy as the regular recipe - but it ate very well with some saucy braised pork. Have to admit the corn product is the star.

If it freezes and reheats well, I'll try to post a recipe.

Nancy

Some of the other "milks" do better than soy for various different non-dairy situations: I had to go off dairy while nursing my son. I found Almond Milk worked better than soy in coffee and cereal, and my brother swears by Oat Milk. I don't have a good cheese substitute for your polenta, but in other situations, nut butters might add some creaminess if the flavor works - try tahini or cashew butter in addition to the standbys. Avocado sometimes can be a good sub for butter.

You might try adding bacon, fried crisp with a bit of fat, to your polenta and see if that does it, or similarly, schmaltz and gribenes.

Nancy - I'm dairy and gluten free - so I feel your pain!

You did exactly what I do with the polenta/spoonbread - just use a good stock, and some EVOO. I also make risotto using only EVOO, and it is mighty tasty, indeed.

Mostly, though, I don't go in for substitutes...its just not the same. I can tolerate the occasional goat cheese when I really want something special, but I have to limit myself on goaty products too. Soya Kaas soy cheeses are good for applications like pizza or quesadillas - the pepper jack is pretty decent (avoid the cheddar!). It melts very well, and has a gooey mouth-feel, and that's about as much as you can ask a soy cheese to do.

Spoonbread - or creamy custardy polenta - with no dairy.

I adapted this from the recipe for Spoonbread from "Frank Stitt's Southern Table" - I'd highly recommend that book, by the way...

This eats pretty well, and is excellent with braised meat and sauce served over it. Still not as rich as if you used butter, cream and buttermilk, but oh well. It does freeze and reheat well, been enjoying it.

Spoonbread - Modified for no dairy

3 cups water
Kosher salt
1 cup broth
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cornmeal or grits
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375F

Butter a 9-inch gratin dish.

Bring the water to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan and add a good pinch of kosher salt.

Combine the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, combine the broth and the olive oil and bring to a gentle simmer.

When the water is boiling, add the cornmeal mixture, whisking constantly, and return to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until just thickened. Stir in the broth/oil and simmer for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Stir in the eggs vigorously, mixing well. Pour into the gratin dish and bake until golden and set, 20 to 25 minutes.

Fantastic recipe for a Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce - dairy free - freezes and reheats very well.

I honestly think this might be better than the original that uses cream, because the sauce doesn't want to break.

This is based on a Food Network Rachel Ray recipe (Vicki's Favorite Chicken with Grapes, Couscous and Roasted Asparagus - well, the Chicken with Grapes part anyway).

2 lb chicken tenders
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
2 large or 3 small onions, diced
1/2 cup White Wine
1 bag red seedless grapes - cut them in half for quicker cooking, leave whole for longer cooking, good either way
2 tablespoons Arrowroot
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Country mustard
1/2 cup miso (I usually use Shiro Miso)
2 cups chicken stock or broth
4 cups couscous
5 cups water (plus extra water for arrowroot slurry).
Salt and Pepper to taste

Salt and pepper the chicken tenders and saute in batches and transfer to a bowl. Cooked a notch or two above medium in EVOO for 2 min per side.

Deglaze the pan with white wine. Just enough of a splash to deglaze is good enough.

Cook until the wine is gone, then add the onions. Saute for a couple of minutes then add the grapes and cover.

Start the couscous - add it to a pan, brown it a bit, add salt and pepper to taste. Add the water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.

Mix the mustard and miso and whisk in the chicken stock and the arrowroot. Add to the pan. Cook this until the grapes are tender and the sauce looks good - probably only 15 minutes, but 30 should be ok.

Cut the cooked chicken tenders to bite size pieces. Only add back to the sauce when you are ready to serve.

Serve the chicken with sauce over couscous. Oh yeah, make some roasted asparagus with it if you want.

My modifications to Rachel Ray's recipe:
---Substituted for the heavy cream to mix with the mustard for a sauce. Went with miso based on a recipe from "The New Soy Cookbook" from Lorna Sass (a miso-mustard cabbage with tempeh - her creamy miso mustard sauce).
---Added onions because I am just a freak for onions
---Didn't cut the grapes in half and cooked them more thoroughly. I just like it this way and it's easier.

Now I just have to try some dairy free melting cheeses and see if I can make a decent cheesy enchilada dish.

We're always gluten-free, but we have several dairy free family members along with 2 diabetics. I get a workout regarding making food taste great, but still safe.

Like Jenn in RoPa, I use very few substitutions like non-dairy creamer as they can add an off taste and don't have the healthiest ingredients sometimes.

I can't think of the name, but an Italian restaurant on Halsted, just north of Steppenwolf, west side of street, has a gluten free menu, so we go there once in awhile. Oh, Vinci's! It's OK; we go mostly because to patronize the gf menu. I mention it because they serve a polenta that is delish. It's really creamy and has mushrooms on it. I asked the server how much cream was in it and he said none. Huh? Wow! It tastes like it has butter or dairy in spades. That doesn't mean it's not dairy-free as it could have cheese or some butter....I didn't ask that. This is a supposed similarrecipe as is this one. Note that they both use Parmesan, but no dairy. You'd have a bit of a hard time replacing the Parmesan with a DF substitute (oh, and many rice and soy cheeses still have casein, so if you need to avoid that, most are out). There is one good replacement for Parmesan, but I can't remember the name right now. if I do, I'll post again late.

So far, though, it looks like you have come up with some good recipes. What else are you working on?

I just try to post and share when I come up with a winner.

I still think it's best to just eat totally different food when avoiding something. So have lots in my freezer that never needed any dairy like thing in it.

Just that I get cravings sometime and want to deal with it.

I am going to try enchiladas with some cheese substitute. I guess I'll post how it came out even if it was a failure.

I agree with you for the most part that it's better to just avoid it than compromise it. But, sometimes that isn't an option and sometimes you just want it anyway.

When we were both GF and DF, DH wanted pizza. Huh. A gluten free crust I can do. And it tastes good. But, soy or rice cheese on pizza???? Forget it.

On the other hand, I can make many cookies and cakes without dairy and do not compromise taste at all. I think it boils down to the role the dairy plays in the item. If it's a limited role or one that easily can be assumed with little or no taste/texture difference, then have at it. If the role is more important, it gets harder and harder, the more prominent the role.

I'm not allergic to dairy but am lactose intolerant. Despite being trained to cook with a lot of cream and butter, I have found it really easy to avoid those ingredients except when baking. Most of my dishes are dairy-free and I've found I don't miss it at all, even in should-be-creamy soups. But I have discovered that in most cases it's better to simply cook without than use soy substitutes like soy, tofu, etc. - it's simply about finding other ingredients and cooking methods to develop the richness or texture you're missing.

As for your points about enchiladas and pizza, I recently discovered a good yogurt cheese at Trader Joe's (and yes, I'm one of the people who isn't really a fan of the store). It tastes a lot like string cheese, which is really just a type of mozzarella, and not rubbery like the soy cheeses. I don't know if that's an option for you - it is made from dairy but is lactose free.

And come spring, I have a delicious recipe for completely dairy-free homemade mint chocolate chip soy ice cream. Let me know if you want it.