Mongolian Beef

I love the Panda Express version of Mongolian Beef. I haven't been able to have it since going gluten free so I've done my best to make it at home. Now with Lola's soy allergy it's become even more difficult but this recipe did a pretty good job. I didn't have any green onions so I threw in some white ones and some broccoli in instead. It's the sauce that really matters. You do what you want with the vegetables. This dish was fantastic as is though!

Mongolian Beef
Yield 6 servings

1 pound beef stew meat
1 tablespoon brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
6 oz frozen broccoli
4 teaspoons canola oil + 1 tablespoon for frying
4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4  cup + 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
3/4 cup gluten free beef broth

1/2 teaspoon Orrington Farms Low Sodium Broth Base and Seasoning (must be low sodium version)

2 teaspoons Lea and Perrins worcestershire sauce (Previously contained soy so check your label!)

3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water

Directions: Place stew meat in a bag along with the brown rice flour and salt. Seal the bag and shake until evenly coated. Place 1 tablespoon of canola oil in the frying pan over medium heat and cook meat until no longer pink. Remove meat from the pan and set aside. Place sliced and washed mushrooms, sliced onions, minced garlic and broccoli in the pan along with the remaining oil and cook until vegetables are completely cooked and soft. Remove vegetables from the pan and place in the bowl with the meat. Place the beef broth, brown sugar, coconut aminos, beef seasoning, worcestershire sauce, ginger, and fish sauce in the pan. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Return the cooked meat and vegetables to the skillet and cook for another 2 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water. Pour the corn starch mixture into the skillet and mix well. Sauce will thicken quickly. Continue to cook until mixture reaches the desired thickness. Serve over rice.

Disclaimer: It is always important to read labels because brands frequently change their ingredients. These ingredients and brands work for my family but some may be processed in the same facility as wheat, soy, dairy and/or eggs and therefore depending on your severity may or may not work for your family.

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Our family loves to make Chinese food. It has been a challenge though since going soy free. A few weeks ago we made this delicious sesame chicken but I wasn't satisfied with only one kind of allergy friendly Chinese food, so this week I went to work on another. I have found coconut aminos to be a necessary ingredient in making soy free Chinese dishes. It's expensive though so I have been using other ingredients to help stretch the coconut aminos and still have an adequate "soy sauce" like taste to the dish!

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Yield 4 servings

1 lb. cubed raw chicken

1/3 cup coconut aminos

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Dole pineapple orange juice

2 teaspoons sherry cooking wine

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon Orrington Farms Low Sodium Broth Base & Seasoning (must be low sodium version)

1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce (Previously contained soy so check your label!)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 tablespoons water

1 bag steamer stir fry vegetables

Directions: Cook cubed chicken until chicken becomes white and juices run clear. While the chicken is cooking, mix coconut aminos, salt, pineapple orange juice, sherry cooking wine, vinegar, honey, beef seasoning, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Once chicken is fully cooked, pour sauce mixture over the chicken and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. In a small separate bowl, combine corn starch and water and mix well. Pour the corn starch mixture evenly over chicken. Continuously stir the chicken mixture over medium heat as the sauce quickly thickens. Thicken to desired consistency. Serve over rice with stir fry vegetables.

Disclaimer: It is always important to read labels because brands frequently change their ingredients. These ingredients and brands work for my family but some may be processed in the same facility as wheat, soy, dairy and/or eggs and therefore depending on your severity may or may not work for your family.

Gluten, Dairy, Egg, and Soy Free Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

To say our household likes rice would be a huge understatement. During a family reunion, my cousin's foreign exchange student from China needed a room to stay in and there was an extra bed for her in our cabin. She was in shock over how much rice I was making for dinner one night. She informed me that her and her parents only make 1 cup of rice for a meal. David and I make double that for only two people! There are a few Chinese restaurants that offer gluten free menus now so that's great! The bigger kicker for me is my egg allergy though, which makes eating Chinese in a restaurant difficult. Now with Lola's soy allergy...well...I give up! Even before Lola's soy allergy we were making a lot of Chinese food at home to fit our allergy needs. Now it's a must! Giving up soy for Lola really wasn't that sad for me. The biggest things I miss though are soy sauce (just because we previously used it in our meals 1-2 times per week) and dairy free sour cream. A friend of mine, who is on a Paleo diet though told me about using coconut aminos as a soy sauce replacement. It has taken a little getting used to and some recipe modifications to really make coconut aminos work but tonight I nailed it with this sesame chicken! I even asked David what he thought and he said "It's different than how you normally make it?" And that's coming from the rice and soy sauce king! As I secretly scream "Wooo hooo!" inside.

Sesame Chicken
Yield 4 servings

-1 pound chicken, diced
-1/2 cup honey or agave nectar
-1/4 cup coconut aminos
-2 tablespoons gluten free, soy free beef broth or vegetarian "beef" broth if your diet requires it
-2 tablespoons ketchup
-2 teaspoons Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce, optional (Previously contained soy so check your label!)
-2 teaspoons sesame oil
-4 teaspoons canola oil
-2 teaspoons fish sauce or coconut aminos
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
-2 teaspoons corn starch mixed with 2 teaspoons beef broth
-sesame seeds (optional)

Directions: In a bowl mix all ingredients except corn starch mixture, chicken, and sesame seeds, set aside. In a separate small bowl, mix together corn starch and beef broth. Place a small amount of canola oil in the skillet and cook chicken until about half done. Then add the honey/coconut aminos mixture to the chicken and cook until chicken is fully cooked. Now remove the chicken from the pan. Whisk in the corn starch mixture to the sauce remaining in the pan until fully blended. Immediately add the chicken back into the sauce and cook until thickened. Serve on top of white rice and stir fry vegetables. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Disclaimer: It is always important to read labels because brands frequently change their ingredients. These ingredients and brands work for my family but some may be processed in the same facility as wheat, soy, dairy and/or eggs and therefore depending on your severity may or may not work for your family.