Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers- Top 8 Free, Gluten Free and Delicious!

We have had a few crazy weeks at our house between afterschool activities, work demands and visitors we are rocking!  Despite our busy schedule, I still want us to be eating healthy and most importantly- safe!  To make sure that happens it takes some planning and prep.  Creating a meal plan and prepping things ahead of time has really saved us from being stressed at meal time.  My meal plan helps me to have good, healthy and safe meals ready to keep us going through these busy weeks.

Today, I want to share one of my favorite recipes when we have a busy week.  It is a meal free of the top 8 allergens, one that can be prepped ahead of time, and packed with healthy veggies.  It is my recipe for Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers.  When I was a little girl my mom would make stuffed peppers and I always loved the nights when they were on the table.  My recipe is slightly updated from my childhood favorite, but my version gets rave reviews from my girls- even with all of the veggies!

This recipe calls for ground turkey, but if you are currently celebrating Lent or prefer vegetarian meals you can easily double the veggies and leave out the meat for a great meatless meal option!

I hope your family will enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Ingredients:
Rice
4 Red Peppers
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 Yellow or Orange Pepper, diced
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Yellow Squash, diced
10-15 Mushrooms, diced
1 tsp Garlic Powder
¼ tsp Cayenne Powder
1 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Prepare rice according to directions.  Keep warm.

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice the “sides” off of the red peppers so you have large pieces.  Brush both sides of pepper with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes, flipping once in the process.

While peppers are roasting brown turkey meat in the skillet.    Remove the meat.  Add a small amount of olive oil to the pan.  Add in onion and pepper.  Sautee for 2 minutes then add squash and mushrooms. Sautee for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Add tomatoes and spices and mix thoroughly, cook for 2 minutes.  Add in the turkey meat.  Let mixture cook on medium low heat until are ingredients are cooked.

Remove peppers from the oven.  Top with meat mixture and serve with rice on the side.

We do not have a dairy allergy so we sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top- but it is delicious without the cheese as well.

Enjoy and Thrive On!

Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow her on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Faves from the Fest- Gluten Free and Allergy-Friendly Finds at the GFFA Fest

Once again the Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest, hosted by Gluten Free and More, proved to be an amazing event that provided connections, information and so much food!  I look forward to this event every year as it provides an opportunity for the gluten-free and food allergy community to come together and enjoy two days filled with support and ideas for thriving on with food restrictions.  Companies from far and wide who get life with food restrictions share their products and knowledge, speakers provide informative sessions and the cooking demos detail great recipes you can recreate for delicious and safe foods at home.

One of my favorite parts of the GFFA Fest is finding new products and resources that I can eat with my family and share with my clients.  Here is my round up of some of my favorite finds at the Columbus GFFA Fest this year.

Fronana

When you have food allergies finding a safe ice cream can be challenging.  From allergen containing pints to the risk of cross contact, some folks choose to forego ice cream altogether.  At the GFFA Fest I met the men behind Fronana, the “Ice Cream for Everyone”.  It is made from bananas and free from the top 8 plus coconut, sesame and corn.  I sampled the Rich Dark Chocolate- it was so refreshing and tasty- hello safe ice cream!

Colette and Franks’s Gluten Free Goodness

I bake a lot from scratch because often times pre-packaged mixes are not safe.  One of my favorite finds at the Fest was Colette and Frank’s mixes.  Free of gluten, dairy, nut, soy and egg their variety of mixes including pancake and bread offer a great solution.  They also offered recipes to make with each mix- my fave was the banana bread made from the pancake mix- so moist and delicious!  While some of the mixes do require egg you can easily use an egg substitution to enjoy these delicious free-from mixes.

Delighted By Dessert Hummus

I read about Delighted By prior to the GFFA Fest and couldn’t wait to try this gluten free and vegan twist on hummus.  A young entrepreneur with a commitment to offering a healthy dessert option is using chickpeas in delightful way.  She has created dessert hummus in a variety of flavors- brownie batter, snickerdoodle, orange-ginger and chocolate chip.  My favorite was the chocolate chip and hope this brand, which is primarily available in the Northeast, finds its way to the Mid-West market soon.

I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter

My family has eaten I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter for years now, but at the Fest I learned that that offer single serve cups that you can purchase online.  You can get both the original creamy and the chocolate soynut butter in the individual cups- perfect for on the go snacks, travel and stocking your car with safe snacks for those just-in-case moments.

Speaking of travel, I had the privilege of presenting at the GFFA Fest on traveling with food allergies and Celiac disease.  It was so wonderful to connect with and talk to so many great people during my presentation.  And, I learned some new things from participants as well!  Love when we all come together to share and Thrive On!

Hope to see you at the next GFFA Fest!



Product Disclaimer:
Thrive On Consulting does not sponsor or endorse the products listed.  Nor has Thrive On Consulting been paid to include these products.  Products mentioned here are provided as ideas and suggestions to help you Thrive On with food allergies.

If you find this post helpful learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which helps families and individuals managing food allergies, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter

Great Finds at the Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest

When you have food allergies, trips to the grocery store can sometimes be frustrating as many foods you see contain allergens or are processed in a facility where cross-contact can occur.  Often times, I pick up a new package intrigued by what I see only to quickly replace it on the shelf after reading the ingredient list and realizing that it is unsafe for our family.  I had a totally different experience at the Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest hosted by Living Without’s Gluten Free and More- it was like an amazing trip to the food allergy friendly grocery store!

The Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest, held in multiple locations throughout the year, is a public show that brings together vendors, speakers, chefs and members of the gluten-free and food allergy community for two days of sharing, learning and tasting!  I was at the show in Indianapolis on October 24^th and 25^th.  Aisles of vendors touting gluten free and allergy friendly items filled the Indiana State Fairgrounds Expo Hall.  I talked to so many great vendors dedicated to making safe and tasty products.  Here are a few of my favorite finds from the Fest to help you Thrive On with food allergies.

I.M. Healthy Granola

We love granola at our house and I often make it from scratch since what I find at the store is unsafe for us.  I was so excited to see a nut-free granola option! We use I.M. Healthy Soy Butter as our go-to peanut butter alternative so I was intrigued when I saw other products at their table.  They now have granola and it comes in four different varieties: Original, Blueberry, Apple, and Raisin Cranberry.  In addition to granola, they are also making variety of gluten free cornflake crumbs- just like bread crumbs but gluten free!

I brought some of the granola home and after only a few days were out!  My daughters have been adding it to yogurt and eating it plain.  It is great to know we have a safe and yummy option for granola!

Living Now Mixes and Pasta

Now Foods offers a number of food products under a series of four different names and their Living Now line is gluten free and free of the top 8 allergens.  They offer boxed mixes, grains, flours and a new line of quinoa pasta.  I spoke to the rep and he said that while they do offer other products that contain allergens their Living Now line is produced in a dedicated allergy friendly facility, and their products are non-GMO.

I got to try the new quinoa pasta and it was delicious!

Freedom Foods Cereal and Granola Bars

I knew about Freedom Foods before I attended the GFFAFest in Columbus, OH earlier this year as they sell their free-from top 8 products at our grocery store.  While in Columbus, I fell even more in love with these products as I learned that they test multiple times throughout the manufacturing process for the presence of allergens and that they source locally for ingredients.  So in Indy, I was thrilled to see new cereal options – including All Round Goodness (think safe maple syrup flavored cheerios) and Fruity Rainbow Rocks (think a healthy and safe version of Fruity Pebbles).  Freedom Foods is now also offering granola bars- a great safe option for grab and go snacking.  All of their products are free from: gluten, wheat, nuts, dairy, eggs, soy and sesame.

Brooke’s Mixes

Brooke’s is an Indiana based candy company that offers a line of cake, cookie and brownie mixes.  All of their mixes are gluten and rice free.  I was intrigued by this brand because so many people I have met that cannot eat rice often have an issue finding safe options as a lot of allergy friendly options use rice flour as an alternative.   These mixes tout a small ingredient list and are so tasty!  If you are dealing with other allergens be sure to read labels as the mixes are produced in a facility where other allergens are present. 

I had such a great time in Indy finding new products and meeting others in the food allergy and gluten free community!  I also had the opportunity to speak at the Fest on how to celebrate the holidays safely with food allergies and Celiac disease.  I loved sharing tips and tricks for safely navigating the holiday season.  If you missed it, don’t worry!  I am offering a special session this holiday season on how to keep the holidays safe.  You get a 30-minute education session on staying safe during the holidays, a holiday allergy action plan template, and 2 allergy friendly recipes.  Contact me today to schedule your session and be ready to safely navigate the holidays!

If you find this post helpful learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which helps families and individuals dealing with food allergies at www.thriveonconsulting.net and follow her on Facebook and Twitter