Dairy Free Spinach Artichoke Dip

Cheesy, gooey, hot spinach and artichoke dip with a little kick. It's okay lactose intolerant person, this is for you. This recipe is made fresh and flavorful to taste better than your average restaurant style artichoke dip. I served it to a group of cheese-loving, dairy-eating ladies and they ate it all up! It's a lot healthier than an average dish of the dairy version of this dip, as the soy cream cheese and dairy free shreds are low in saturated fat and cholesterol free. I even used light mayonaise to make it healthier.

Just know, real mayonaise is completely dairy free. I try to point this out as much as I can, because I've noticed a general misconception that mayo is associated with dairy. Either people associate eggs as being dairy, or just mayo as being made with cows milk, but real mayonaise is made only with eggs--no cow products at all. The Best Foods mayonaise I used contains the ingredients: soybean oil, water, whole eggs, vinegar, salt, sugar, and lemon juice. No lactose whatsoever. It's an important ingredient in most artichoke dip recipes.

The other dairy free ingredients I used were Trader Joe's This is Not a Tub of Cream Cheese, This is a Tub of Non-Dairy Spread, though I also recommend using either Tofutti Cream Cheese and/or Tofutti Sour Cream. I used Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds to substitute real cheese, but I recommend Trader Joe's Soy Mozzarella as well. For the second cheese ingredient, I used real Parmigiano Reggiano, which is said to be completely lactose free due to the process it is made and aged. To keep this dish dairy free, use Galaxy Foods Vegan Grated Parmesan or Parma! instead. Last but not least, in every recipe that calls for butter, I replace it with Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread, which is completely dairy free, yet still tastes amazingly like real butter.

Cooking all these non-dairy ingredients together really brings out their dairy flavor. Eating them all separately and cold makes you never want to buy them again-so don't do it! Combine them by cooking with other ingredients and spices to get the same level of comfort food satisfaction. I absolutely love this spinach artichoke dip.

Ingredients:

1 large bag fresh baby spinach

2 cans artichoke hearts, chopped

1 medium size yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 6oz containers This is Not a Tub of Cream Cheese

1 cup real mayonaise

2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano or Vegan Grated Parmesan

3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup Daiya Mozarella style shreds

3 tablespoons Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Chop up your onion, artichokes, and garlic. Melt the Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread in a large saucepan over medium heat. 

2. Once melted, toss in the onions and cook until translucent, about five minutes. Throw in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds with the buttery onions. 

3. Add red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper to the pan, immediately followed by all of the spinach. Spinach takes up a ton of space when first added, so it will be easier to add it to the pan in portions. It will cook down quickly. Cook spinach in butter, onion, and garlic mixture for 2-3 minutes once all added. 

 4. Remove pan temporarily from heat. With a slotted spoon, remove the spinach, onion, and garlic from the pan, leaving as much flavored butter behind as possible. Set spinach mixture aside.  I set my spinach on a cutting board and chopped it up to make it more manageable to eat.

5. Add the artichokes to the remaining flavored buttery liquid in the pan and return to heat. Cook until the liquid is cooked off and the artichokes begin to brown. Add more Smart Balance if needed.

6. While artichokes are cooking create the base for your dip. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Soften the tubs of non-dairy cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds. You want them to be easy to work with. Add the non-dairy cream cheese to a large mixing bowl.

7. Add mayonaise to the non-dairy cream cheese and combine until smooth.

8. Next add 3/4 cup mozzarella shreds and 2/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan alternative, spinach mixture, and browned artichokes to the cream cheese and mayo mixture. Stir until well combined. 

9. Transfer to a large baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cook for 15 minutes, or until mixture is hot and bubbly. Cooking these non-dairy ingredients together is the key to their delicious dairy taste. When I served this dish, no one could tell it was dairy free.

         

Dairy Free Turkey Taco Pie

Eric and I love turkey tacos. We use a great recipe from the bottle of Frank's Red Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce. It's our go-to meal and we have it about once every two weeks because it's so easy, incorporates all food groups in one dish, it's healthy, and it's the perfect comfort food. Turkey tacos are so easy because you can store all the ingredients in your kitchen without having to stop by the store to pick anything up. I keep ground turkey at the ready in the freezer, canned black beans and diced tomatoes in the pantry cupboard, buy rice in bulk, and store jarred salsa and Frank's in the fridge. It's a meal I don't have to plan, I just get out all the ingredients.

The basic Frank's taco recipe calls for 1 lb. cooked ground meat, 1 cup salsa, 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce, and 2 teaspoons of chili powder. We build on the recipe and add diced tomatoes, then layer our tacos with black beans and brown rice. Occasionally Eric adds shredded cheese while I add guacamole if it's in the fridge. Sometimes we don't always have tortilla shells, and we will either eat it burrito bowl style like Chipotle, or eat with tortilla chips. I usually have some Tostitos Lime Tortilla chips on hand.

One week not too long ago I didn't have any chips or tortilla shells, but I did have fresh tomatoes, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese shreds, and even guacamole. All the ingredients perfect for tacos! Rather than go to the store just for taco shells, I pulled out the cornmeal I use for dusting pizza crust and made a delicious Taco Pie. It's so good and looks beautiful when it's all put together. You don't need sour cream or cheese to make this delicious. Add a dollop of guac to your pie when serving to get that creaminess you desire.

Ingredients:

Crust

1/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
cooking spray

Filling

1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 cup salsa
1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 can black beans, drained (not rinsed)
1 cup three cheese soy cheese shreds or mixture of mozarella and cheddar Daiya Shreds
red pepper flakes (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup lettuce, shredded
Gaucamole or advacado (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 inch pie dish with cooking spray then sprinkle a light dusting of cornmeal on bottom and sides of dish to prevent crust from sticking.
                                           

2. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in almond milk and vegetable oil until a ball begins to form.

                                                

3. Use your hands to knead the dough into a ball, then, on a surface dusted with flour, use a rolling pin to roll out your dough into a 10 inch circle.

                                            

4. Place your rolled out dough onto the pie dish, molding to form a crust. Tuck extra dough underneath to make even. Poke a few fine holes in the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent crust from bubbling up.

                                                 

5. Place in oven and cook for five minutes, or until lightly browned and hardened like a tortilla shell.

6. Meanwhile, cook your ground turkey until browned. Drain any liquid fromt the pan, then add salsa, hot sauce, and chili powder. Simmer uncovered for ten minutes, allowing the tortilla crust to cool and the spices to seep into the turkey.

7. Add turkey and salsa mixture into tortilla crust. Follow with a thick layer of black beans, then top with cheddar cheese shreds. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for an added kick.

8. Bake for 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Remove pie from oven and immediately top with diced tomatoes and lettuce. Cut like a pie and serve with guacamole.

   

Dairy Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My dairy free broccoli cheddar soup is sweet, rich, and creamy, just like the dairy version. I've been craving this soup since one of my friends ordered a big bowl of it at Panera. It looked so delicious I decided to make some. Plus, it's flu season; soup is soothing and broccoli is high in vitamin C. This is my flu shot.

The combination of sweet onion and sweetened almond milk makes a perfect dairy free soup base. I recommend following the first few steps to make any recipe that may call for a cream based canned soup. It can always be pureed in a food processor for a smoother texture. Also, this particular soup can be used as a base for, say, a chicken and rice casserole.

For the cheese part, I recommend using Trader Joe's Shredded Soy Cheese Blend for flavor if you are just lactose intolerant, but it's not completely vegan. For vegan soup I recommend using vegetable broth and Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds, although the flavor is a bit different. To achieve a better-than-dairy-broccoli-cheddar flavor, I added only 1/2 cup Daiya Style Shreds and then 1/2 cup parmesan in this batch. It's amazing to me.

Sometimes I like to use what I call a fake cheese cocktail: a mixture of different soy or veggie based cheeses to achieve a more natural flavor. The cheddar style flavors can be very strong, and they taste more realistic if toned down with parmesan flavor or mozzarella. Experiment with different brands, but I usually agree that less is more when it comes to adding fake cheese. Try half a cup and judge the flavor, then add more if you like it.


Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 sweet onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups sweetened almond milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese alternative
3 cups fresh broccoli, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, melt Smart Balance over medium low heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper and cook for five minutes or until onions are tender.

                 

2. Add flour and cook for two minutes.

                 

3. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until well combined and cook for five minutes. Whisk in almond milk, and then stir in broccoli. Cook uncovered at a simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally. Do not bring to a boil.

                

                

                

4. Once broccoli is tender, whisk in the cheddar cheese alternative until melted. Depending on the brand used it can be tricky to melt completely, so I say whisk it. Whisking will also break down some of the larger broccoli pieces, creating a smoother soup. Remove saucepan from heat and serve the broccoli cheddar soup in a colorful bowl with your favorite crackers.

                
                

       

Dairy Free Quiche with Ham and Kale

How else can I use this leftover ham from Christmas dinner? I've made ham and cheese crescent rolls, pasta carbonara, mac'n'cheese with ham, and had ham and eggs--all dairy free of course. For breakfast today, let's try a dairy free ham and cheese quiche. I have green beans, lettuce, and kale in the fridge. Kale wins! I made a wonderful gluten free pasta dish with it last night.

I love having some extra time around Christmas to come up with delicious recipes. This year I tried out a couple dairy free cheesecakes and the final result was a delectable triple chocolate cheesecake that I need to post soon. Some other dairy free snacks we had for our Christmas feast were buffalo chicken dip with tortilla chips and onion dip made with Toffuti Better Than Sour Cream, served with pretzels. Both of these I am happy to announce were big hits among my dairy eating friends.

I didn't go all out this feast like I did for Thanksgiving; in fact, I felt like a horrible hostess. I was so tired this year that all I did was make the snacks and cheesecake. Eric made the ham on his own, and each guest brought a dish. I even forgot to make the crescent rolls I had bought (hence the ham and cheese crescent rolls above) and never served the coffee and hot chocolate. At least I can safely say everyone had enough champagne to drink. I proceeded to sleep in for three days after Christmas.

This recipe calls for all of my favorite dairy free goodies. Silk Nog, the soy alternative to egg nog, is dairy and egg free, but it still contains the perfect blend of spices to flavor a good quiche. If you are looking for soy free, try SO Delicious Nog, which is made of coconut. I always recommend Silk Very Vanilla Soymilk to cook with if you choose something else. You can find these items at your local grocery store. Daiya Chedder Style Shreds are a key ingredient in my buffalo chicken dip, as well as this quiche. Daiya is a soy and dairy free cheese alternative made from tapioca. I usually find it at Whole Foods.

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pie crust
2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped ham
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese alternative (I used Daiya Shreds found at Whole Foods)
4 eggs
1 cup Silk Nog (or other dairy milk alternative)
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Let the pie crust sit out to adjust to room temperature for at least 15 minutes, then mold it into a 9inch pie dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large heated skillet, add olive oil, onions, kale, 1/4 teaspoons of salt and pepper, and onion powder. Cook over medium heat until onions and kale are tender, about five minutes.

3. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, then add Silk Nog, curry powder, salt, and pepper and whisk until blended.

4. Layer the ingredients into the pie dish in this order: ham, onion and kale mixture, and shredded cheese alternative. Pour the egg mixture over the top so that all ingredients are evenly covered.

5. Bake for 40 minutes or until center of the quiche is cooked through. Hopefully the ham is all used up!

           

How to Make a Delicious Grilled (Fake) Cheese Sandwich

I made this particular grilled cheese using Trader Joe's Soy Blend of Mozzarella, Jack, and Cheddar Flavors.

Grilled cheese is one of those comfort foods you don't have to lose with lactose intolerance. Fake cheese works surprisingly well as a substitute. The trick is to blend it with other flavors. Some fake cheese options are better than others. I've tried many different kinds of soy cheese or vegan/dairy free cheese alternatives.

One version of sliced cheese singles I can recommend are Veggie Slices. These are soy based, but they do contain milk protein so watch out if you are allergic. They taste terrible on their own but make a great grilled cheese sandwich. I've used them for cold sandwiches but I'd honestly rather do without the fake cheese. This stuff tastes best cooked in something or melted.

If you are looking for vegan and completely dairy free, I always recommend Daiya Shreds. Although for taste, I prefer soy blend cheeses. Two other types I like are Trader Joe's soy mozzarella and shredded soy blend. These are sometimes hard to find in the cheese aisles so look thoroughly. I always find Daiya Shreds and Veggie Slices at Whole Foods.

Other pluses to lactose free cheeses: no cholesterol, less saturated fat, less sodium, and easy to digest.

Adding another filler in your sandwich blends with the fake cheese, making it taste more authentic. I like to add pickles, tomatoes, bacon, or all three to perfectly replicate a dairy grilled cheese sandwich. Get a nice, thick bread, like sourdough, spread on the SmartBalance Light, and honestly, it's hard to tell the difference.

Dairy Free Mac'n'Cheese

Cheese lovers: do you think your body really enjoys all that grease, cholesterol, and hard to digest lactose? Of course not! I know it tastes amazing, but so does my lactose free mac'n'cheese.

Well, I didn't actually use macaroni, but I did use hearty whole wheat penne! Unsweetened almond milk brings this dish to life, along with dairy free Smart Balance Light and lactose free cheese. It has a couple of secret ingredients that you would never have guessed: egg and dry mustard. Topped off with flavorful french fried onions! It will make you wonder if this isn't the real thing. How can I ever miss mac'n'cheese again?

I can recommend a few lactose free cheeses to choose from. Trader Joe's has a shredded soy cheese that's a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and jack flavors. I used that for this dish. It's not vegan and has milk protein in it, so beware if you are allergic to milk protein. It's great if you are just lactose intolerant. Also, Kraft shredded cheeses have little lactose in them, especially the sharp cheddar and parmesan. I'm highly sensitive and can have a little of these, but not a lot. If you are looking for dairy free, soy free, and vegan, then I recommend using Daiya Shreds in cheddar and parmesan.

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
1 egg
4 tablespoons Smart Balance Light (dairy free)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 cups shredded cheddar lactose free cheese (I used Trader Joe's soy cheese blend)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese alternative
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

Topping:
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese alternative
1/2 cup to 1 cup french fried onions

Directions:
1. Cook pasta until firm but not done. Knock off about 2 minutes of cook time. Drain and keep in warm, covered pot.

2. Beat egg in small bowl.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Melt Smart Balance in a large pot over medium heat. Add flour, whisking constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

5. Pour in almond milk. Add mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened.

6. To temper egg, slowly pour 1/4 cup of the almond milk sauce into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg.

7. Slowly pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking until smooth. This will create a nice, thick mac'n'cheese.

8. Add lactose free cheese and 1/3 cup of parmesan alternative, stir until melted.

Mmm creamy cheesy goodness.

9. Add sea salt and pepper plus more to taste. You can also add any other spices at this point.

10. Pour cooked pasta into sauce and stir to combine.

11. In a large casserole dish sprayed with cooking oil, add pasta and cheese mixture.

12. Top with french fried onions and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese alternative.

13. Bake 5-10 minutes or until the surface is lightly browned. Taste approved by cheese lovers!