Post Oral Food Challenge or Struggles with Soy

Disclaimer: This content is not intended as medical advice. .As always, contact your allergist or medical professional with any medical questions you may have and follow the medical advice they give. This is simply our experience.

It's been two months since James passed his soy challenge. The directions we were given were to make sure he consumed soy 2-4 times a month. According to this article, about one third of patients do not regularly consume their former allergens after passing an oral food challenge. This matters because to avoid a recurrent allergy, the research says one needs to regularly consume the former allergen.

The nurse asked why we even challenged soy, since it is an issue to keep it in the diet for most (soy lecithin, soy bean oil, soy sauce all do not count because they are low in protein. Many who are allergic can eat soybean oil and lecithin.). For James to know that he will not react if he has soy (and he has had an accidental soy ingestion before), it was worth it. My husband would say it was worth it to have regular soy sauce (and hopefully, eventually, eat in real Chinese restaurants). It is something I think one should keep in mind before challenging a food. Is it worth it?

This is not a question the allergist discussed with us. He knew we were motivated. But, the reintroduction has not gone smoothly. During the challenge, James complained of stomach upset, but everyone thought it was from the amount of liquids he was drinking to wash away the taste of the soy milk. However, he has continued to have stomach upset and/or pain on consuming soy. He did not want to give up, so we have kept trying.

Forms we tried:

Tofu: James liked it the first time until he asked me what it was. When he heard it was fermented soybean, he said he felt sick. The next time, he adamantly stated he didn't like it at all. Orange Glazed Tofu and Hawaiian Tofu BBQ Bowls

Edamame: I personally love edamame with a little bit of sea salt. James said if he had to, he could swallow them like pills. Taking all those pills per day is coming in handy.

Roasted edamame: I thought they tasted like dirt. James said he could eat them if he was really hungry.

Soy Milk: Tried at the food challenge, never again.

Edamame Guacamole: This was a maybe. I need to play with the recipe a little more. I really jsut made guacamole and added in edamame.

Chocolate and Roasted Edamame Toffee: Darren and I liked it. James did not.

Soy Protein Cookies: made with sunbutter, very dry, used soy protein powder

Hot Cocoa with a teaspoon of soy protein powder in it: James said this taste foul and I believe him. It smelled foul.

And, finally success with;

Nestle's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I read here that you can replace 1/3 of the flour in a recipe with protein powder. So, I did. Now, it's been a long time since I have made wheat chocolate chip cookies, but none of us could taste any soy. They were delicious. And, he didn't get any stomach upset.

The biggest problem is that he has to eat 6 1/2 cookies to get a similar amount to what he had at the challenge. Well, this isn't a problem for him! I am going to try recipes that are slightly more healthy - muffins, pancakes, etc - and hope that this is the solution we are looking for.

My thoughts:

Allergists are always eager to broaden the diet and for good reason. Although James is considered tolerant now, he is not as tolerant as I expected. It is not the same as one who is simply not allergic. If he doesn't consume his allergen, he has a higher risk or reacquiring it. While this is not OIT - no measured doses, no rest breaks, and he can eat as much as he wants - it is not complete freedom either. He is somewhere in between. For all is other allergens, it will be easy to include them in his diet once he passes the psychological hurdle of eating them; he loved nuts prior to his allergies.

It is a factor that should be considered prior to challenging: how will you keep the food in the diet and how hard are you willing to work for it?

Thanksgiving, Allergy Style

The food restrictions we will accommodate on Thanksgiving include: vegan, peanut, tree nut, soy, and wheat allergies, OAS to melon and tomato, avoids most legumes (not peas anymore! This means vegan butter is in. Hoping to re-introduce at least one more legume before Thanksgiving). My goal is not to make every dish meet every need, but for everyone to be able to eat a complete meal within their restrictions.

These are not my recipes, but the collection of what I will use and how I will adapt them.

Pre-Thanksgiving (with guests):

Avocado Pasta (with cheese on the side)

Taco Soup: No recipe, vegetable stock (4 c), salsa (1 small container), whatever add ins everyone can have and lots on the side. Suggestions for add-ins/toppings: black beans, cheese, tortilla chips, meat, avocado, corn, kidney beans, sour cream (yuck, not here).

Thanksgiving Day:

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes (will not make vegan)
Sweet Potato Casserole (will be vegan)
Green Bean Casserole (Will not be wheat and maybe soy? safe. James doesn't eat it so I honestly don't really know the allergens present. Also not vegan - my sister also doesn't eat it)
Stuffing stuffed pumpkin
        Vegan Version: Wild Rice and Brussels Sprouts  (but I replaced the nuts with sunflower seeds)
         Non-Vegan version: Sourdough Artichoke (I will use GF Jules recipe to make baguettes)
Pumpkin Ravioli with a Sage Pesto
     Pasta Recipe
     Pumpkin Filling (no cheese)
     Pesto recipe (pumpkin seeds to replace the walnuts)
Caesar Salad and Autumn Salad (to be vegan)
Gravy (not vegan)
Cranberry Sauce

Seriously, I already feel sick looking at that collection. But, we still have ...

Dessert:

Apple Pie (vegan)
Whoopie Pies:
     Pumpkin and Chocolate but both using the pumpkin version's filling

My Action Plan:

Making Now:

The pumpkin ravioli and the wild rice stuffing are already in the freezer. I am going to pre-bake and freeze some baguettes. And, I will pre-make and freeze the cranberry sauce. I'm hoping to test out and maybe freeze the whoopie pies before Thanksgiving. Maybe some "Whoopie! The election is over" pies.

A Day or Two before Thanksgiving:

Bake the sweet potatoes and prep the casserole. Make the green bean casserole. Bake the mini pumpkins, make the artichoke stuffing and stuff the pumpkins. Make the apple pie.

Thanksgiving Morning:

Make the whoopie pies (if they aren't done). Prep the salads. Make the pesto.

Right before eating:

Bake all that needs to be baked, make the mashed potatoes and gravy. Boil the ravioli.

My husband dos the turkey (and the gravy and Caesar salad for that matter) so that doesn't make my plan. He usually cooks it outside (either smoked or fried) so it also doesn't interfere with oven space.

Have you started your Thanksgiving plans?

Allergy Friendly Chinese New Year Collection

Twelve years ago, for the last Year of the Monkey, we were in China, adopting James. Technically, we were there just after the New Year; it's a lunar holiday so the dates move. But this year, the first day of the New Year and the day we adopted James fall on the same day, Feb. 8th.

For years, we had a Chinese New Year's party, with friends, food, and red envelopes. After James's diagnosis with food allergies, we stopped. Pretty much everything we made, had at least one ingredient he couldn't have.

Over the years, I have slowly started cooking Chinese food again. I am not one who creates recipes. However, I've gotten pretty good at adapting. And a hat tip here to Sharon at Nut Free Wok, who has given me the confidence and recipes to begin branching out. So this year, we will again be celebrating Chinese New Year - nut free, peanut free, soy free, and wheat free.

 I have collected here for future years (and others) the recipes we are using and adapting.I hope you enjoy them.

Appetizers and Soups:

Hot and Sour Soup (from Closet Cooking) Adaptations: I will leave out the tofu and double up on mushrooms. I will use coconut aminos for soy sauce. I used to make one low/no heat and one spicy when James was younger, but I think we can skip that step now.

Chicken Potstickers (from Nut Free Wok) with the GF wrapper recipe from Food & Wine Adaptations: Replace soy sauce with coconut aminos.

Egg Rolls (from Steamy Kitchen) Adaptations: Replace soy sauce with coconut aminos. Leave out the meat for a vegetarian dish. Replace the egg roll wrappers with rice paper wrappers.

Char Siu Bao Adaptations: Use the Char Siu recipe below, with coconut aminos, cornstarch, some cha siu marinade, sugar, and green onions for the filling. I have made gluten free bao before but have not perfected my recipe. It's close enough to work but still in progress. If I get it perfected, I will share.

Main Dishes:

Roasted Braised Duck (from The Woks of Life) Adaptations: Replace soy sauce with coconut animos. Wish me luck as I have never cooked a duck before!

Char Siu (from Nut Free Wok) Adaptations: Replace soy sauce with coconut aminos. Replace black bean paste with ketchup.

Desserts (100% non-traditional):

Chocolate cupcakes: The recipe is from The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free (affiliate link). I plan to decorate them with red frosting with yellow piped characters.

Fortune Cookies (from Honest Cooking) Adaptations: I plan to dip them in white chocolate and add red sugar sprinkles.

Allergy Friendly Copycat Candy Bars

Or, how I came to make two of my least favorite candies

When I was a child, I loved Butterfingers, one of my absolute favorites. I must have overindulged (a King sized bar was to blame I believe) and I had a nightmare. I ate a Butterfinger and ended up blowing an oil bubble as a result. It's pretty tame as nightmares go, but I was done with butterfingers. 

As an adult, I would have an occasional snack-sized bar, but I never regained my love. However, for the past couple years, I have been seeing easy homemade Butterfinger recipes and finally decided to give it a try.

Peanut Free Butterfingers

Free of: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish, shellfish, milk       

Contains: Soy and Egg

*The soy means that James will not be able to eat them. It is in the form of soy protein in the candy corn. Luckily, I caught this before offering a taste.

Ingredients:

2 cups candy corn

2 cups Sunbutter

Chocolate coating (I used Vermont Nut Free dark chocolate melts)

Sprinkles (I used Target Dollar Spot sprinkles)

Directions

1. Melt the candy corn in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.

2. Add the sunbutter and stir. This will not be easy and I recommend a mixer.

3. Press into an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan which has parchment paper in it.

4. Put in the freezer for at least 30 min.

5. Cut the Butterfingers into pieces.

6. Using the directions here, melt your chocolate for dipping.

7. Cover with chocolate and quickly add the sprinkles on top.

Note:  Keep in mind that the smaller you cut the butterfingers, the more dipping you will have to do. This step may have gotten old for me.

And Mounds

I have never liked Mounds, not even as a child. They were only good for trading candy as far as I was concerned. However, I was not paying attention to our Amazon Subscribe and Save subscriptions and currently am buried in coconut. This was an attempt to use it up.

Free of: peanuts, tree nuts (except coconut), wheat fish, shellfish, and soy (yay!)

Contains: Egg and dairy (can be adapted to be dairy free)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup coconut flakes

2/3 c sugar

1/4 c cornstarch

1/2 c heavy cream

1/2 c coconut milk (in the carton not can)

2 egg yolks

2 T butter

Dipping chocolate and sprinkles

Note: To make dairy free, replace the 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 c coconut milk with 1 cup full fat coconut milk from the can. Also replace the 2 T butter with coconut oil.

Directions:

1. Put the coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan.

2. heat over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Add the heavy cream, cornstarch, and butter and stir until combined.

4. Add about 1/3 c of the hot liquid to the egg yolks, stirring continuously. This will help to keep the egg yolks from scrambling.

4. While stirring continuously, add the egg yolk mixture to the pan.

5. Add the coconut flakes to the pan and stir until the mixture thickens.

6. Allow to cool in the refrigerator. Then place in the food processor and pulse until you have a smooth mixture. This step might not be necessary depending on the thickness of your coconut flakes.

7. Roll into balls (or flat ovals to copy Mounds more exactly).

8. Again, melt the dipping chocolate and use to cover each one. Add the sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.

 

Chocolate Dipped, Wheat Free (Gluten Free) Graham Crackers

Why Not out of a Box?

James is avoiding legumes, and so far, I have yet to find a wheat free graham cracker that does not have pea protein as an ingredient. I am open to suggestions! However, these are not that difficult and tasty to boot.

Free of: Peanuts, wheat/gluten, eggs, fish, shellfish, legumes (soy-see below)

Depending on comfort level/variation: tree nuts (contains coconut), milk (type of chocolate/shortening you use), soy (lecithin depending on type of chocolate)

Ingredients

1 c GF all purpose mix

1/4 c. seed meal*

1/4 c coconut flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c butter*, cold, cut into chunks

3 T water

2 T molasses*

1 T honey*

1 t vanilla

*Ingredient notes:  I get seed meal from Gerbs Seeds but it can also be made by chopping your seeds to a powder in your food processor. If leave the processor on too long, you will end up with butter, so pulse the processor until the texture is a coarse powder.

To make this dairy free, use whatever safe solid shortening replacement you prefer.

To vary the taste of the end product, change the amount of the honey and molasses. The way it is written here, they will taste similar to a spice cookie. With all honey and no molasses, they will taste quite sweet, more like a traditional honey graham cracker. Use your preference are your guide.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°.

2. Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with silicone baking sheets or parchment paper, depending on how thick your final crackers will be rolled out. If you want the crackers to be crisp (good for s'mores), you will need 2 cookie sheets. If you want a softer cracker (more cookie like and also, I think, good for ice cream sandwiches), you will only need 1. 

3.  In a food processor, add from flour mix through salt. Pulse once or twice to combine.

4. Add the butter (or shortening) and pulse until blended and resembles cornmeal.

5. Add the water, molasses, honey, and vanilla. Pulse until combine and a soft dough forms. 

6. Sprinkle powdered sugar on the silicone baking sheets (or parchment).

7. If you are using 1 cookie sheet, roll out the dough to about 1/4", using powdered sugar as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. If you are using 2 cookie sheets, divide the dough and roll each out to about 1/8" thick.

8. Use a pizza cutter to score the crackers into whatever shape you want. Then, poke with a fork in a regular pattern.

9. Bake for 15-20 min, depending on thickness, until edges begin to brown.

10. Remove from oven.

11. While still warm and on pan, use a sharp knife to cut along the scored lines. Allow to cool for 10 min. Then cool completely on a cooling rack.

12. Using the directions from this post, melt the chocolate of your choice.

13. Use a pastry brush to apply the chocolate and place in the refrigerator for approximately 4 min or until set.

Safe for Us Homemade Easter Treats

What is Safe for Us?

James is allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy. He can eat soy lecithin and soybean oil. He has oral allergy syndrome (OAS) to tomatoes and melon. He avoids legumes.

I avoid dairy, as I've recently discovered it affects my sinuses.

Disclaimer:

When I mention a brand, it is because I am comfortable with the allergen policy and with using that brand for my family. It is not an endorsement or a suggestion that you use the same brand without doing your own research. Everyone's allergies and comfort levels vary. That said, I have no sponsors and all my opinions are flatly my own. 

Molded Chocolate Eggs

Made from Chocoley Bada Bing Bada Boom Modeling Chocolate

Free of: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat/gluten, eggs, sesame, fish, crustaceans

Contains: Soy lecithin and dairy

You can find the allergen statement here.

I have one failed attempt at making a chocolate bunny when James was a toddler (it bloomed). Darren was interested in trying to make chocolates again and, while I was a competent aide, he was definitely the chocolatier.

Since I had a bad experience, we chose the chocolate which required no tempering. We did order samples of the gourmet couverture chocolate (free with order) to sample. Darren followed the directions on their website and, easily enough, we had chocolate eggs.

Sunbutter Eggs

Chocoley Version: Same allergy information as above

Enjoy Life Version: Free from wheat, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish. 

Cross Contamination: Sunbutter is made on the same equipment as soy.

I love(d) peanut butter cups. And since I avoid dairy, we decided to temper Enjoy Life chocolate chips so I could have my own version. We also made a chocoley version for the dairy eaters.

We used the following method to temper the chips:

1. Heat the chips in a double boiler to 108°, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat and add a small handful of chips as seed crystals.
3. Continue to stir until the temperature reaches 88°.

We used the following recipe for the filling:

1/2 c Sunbutter

2 T softened Butter (Spectrum Palm Shortening for dairy free)

1/4 c + 2 T confectionery sugar

1/4 tsp salt

We were actually out of confectionery sugar and ground our own using regular sugar and cornstarch. You may need to adjust the ratios a little to get the right consistency because our sugar was coarser than usual.

We made 20 cups and used 10 ounces of chocolate for the bottom and 15 ounces for the tops. There was leftovers of the Sunbutter filling and I'm already thinking about thinning it out and using it for a chocolate Sunbutter Ice Cream (Yum).

 The Enjoy Life were definitely a darker chocolate (not that I mind at all). Both batches set up really well.

A No Fuss, Easy Treat

Free of: Peanuts, tree nuts, wheat/gluten, fish, shellfish

Cross Contamination: Soy

If you are a baker, than these are for you. I made them for James to take to a party. More confessions, it's Betty Crocker Gluten Free cake mix. The frosting (and reason why we had no confectionery sugar) is a simple buttercream:

1/3 c butter, softened

1 lb confectionery sugar

1 tsp vanilla

You may notice the yellow looks more crisp than the green . They are made with different tips but, I added milk to the green frosting, but it was hot here and so, the frosting was slightly too soft. Since I live in a warm area, I've found it works better to leave the milk out altogether and add it if needed later.

And Peeps are large decorations that cover a variety of frosting woes.