Help with dairy free recipes please

[kdeno]

My husband's uncle suddenly passed away yesterday and I want to make meals for the family but my neice needs dairy free meals. What do you all eat? Does anyone have a df cream soup recipe? I have a whole new respect for all of you with dietary restrictions.Thank you so much for any help.

Kari:grouphug:

[abbeyej]

It shows how deep I am into all this ridiculous restricted diet stuff (sigh) that "dairy free" sounds like nothin' to me. (I'm not saying it *is* -- any major dietary shift is totally overwhelming -- but at some point, just cutting out *one* food starts to sound easy!)

For cream soups, do you mean for *soup* or do you mean in casseroles? For soups, either potatoes or "silken" tofu (like Mori-Nu brand -- comes in boxes on the store shelf, not in the refrigerated section like water-packed tofu) or both can be blended with the broth of a soup for making it creamy. I've never made dishes that require canned cream-of soups, so I can't help you there.

Meals you could take... Roast chicken, roast potatoes, salad, green beans (cut off ends; drop in boiling salted water; when the water reaches boiling again, count five minutes, then check for doneness; when crisp-tender, drain and rinse briefly in cool water; toss with lemon juice and olive oil with slivered almonds or pine nuts if you like)... Meat loaf and mashed potatoes with spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic... Pasta with tomato sauce (or chopped fresh tomatoes, red onion, fresh basil, olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar)... Chili with corn bread (if you use a mix, be sure to read the ingredients carefully -- use oil instead of butter and water will work fine instead of milk) and salad... If they like vegetables, a whole wheat pizza crust with a spicy tomato sauce and lots of roast veggies makes a fabulous pizza even without the cheese... Vegetable soup, bread, salad... A tray of sandwich makings (bread, meats, lettuce, tomato, red onion, etc) and some raw veggies -- that way anyone in the family has food when they need it, rather than a sit-down thing.

I wouldn't think in terms of "substituting" dairy in most things -- try thinking of normal meals you would serve that don't have dairy in them, or that can simply be prepared without. It's certainly possible to substitute in a variety of dishes, but there are probably plenty of every day things you already make that don't require much if any modification. (One excepting... If you're dying to make lasagna, just skip the mozzarella and replace the ricotta with tofu -- either silken or regular will work -- mash it up with Italian seasonings, garlic powder, a little balsamic vinegar and soy sauce and let it sit for an hour or two till you assemble the lasagna.)

Oh, and one last thing -- be very careful when picking up cheese or butter-substitutes -- some of them imply that they're dairy free when really they include some dairy ingredients. If you read the ingredients carefully, you should be able to tell, but don't rely on the front of the package.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Make something Asian - most Asian recipes do not have any dairy in them.

[Jean in Wisc]

I can eat most things if we use dairy free margarine, soymilk, etc.

For cream soups, I make a white sauce. I usually make it with chicken broth (or beef) and a small amount of soy milk.

I usually avoid anything with cheese products--that is harder to substitute.

Be sure to read the labels carefully. I cannot eat anything that is even manufactured in a plant that handles dairy.

If you told us what you would normally make, we might be able to tell you if a substitution could be made.

:-)