What's For Supper? Nightshade Free Mexican Food

What's For Supper? Nightshade Free Mexican Meal

For some of us, this question isn't that hard. A quick review of the contents of the fridge or the kitchen pantry and we can come up with something good.

For people with nightshade allergies, the answer is not always as easily come by. My husband and I do not have a nightshade allergy, so we can eat pretty much whatever we can find.

However, my daughter does have a nightshade allergy. When she and her family come to visit, meal times have to be planned more carefully to make sure we don't accidentally poison her. Aside from the danger of serving her nightshades, trips to the emergency room really cut into the family time, so we are very careful not to make her sick by serving her something she shouldn't eat.

Nightshade Free Mexican Menu

Click the link for the recipes. The homemade tortilla chips and refried beans videos are below the menu list.

• Nightshade Free Carnitas
• Nightshade Free Guacamole
• Homemade Tortilla Chips from Homemade Corn Tortillas
• Refried Beans
• Shredded Lettuce with Sour Cream
• Homemade Flour Tortillas
• Mexican Pralines

Homemade Tortilla Chips 

Refried Beans

 

Yum! Mexican food! 

Do you like cooking homemade Mexican food?

Nightshade Free Texas Chili Recipe

Nightshade free chili will be redder than traditional Texas Chili.

Those of us who have to deal with nightshade allergies know that tomatoes are a big no-no (they give me rashes and blisters) and chili peppers can be deadly. Now, I am a Texas girl, born and bred, so I cannot adequately express my grief at developing nightshade allergies --I was weaned on jalepenos and ate pico de gallo for breakfast everyday for more than a year.

Even though I miss my jalapeno jelly and pico for breakfast, one thing I don't have to miss is my Texas Chili. Now, don't turn your nose up until you've tried it. I actually made this for my hubby (also a Texan) and he didn't realize it wasn't "real" chili until I told him.

Ingredients:
1 onion
3lbs ground chuck
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
3 cans sliced beets (NOT PICKLED!)
Cumin (no cumin is NOT a nightshade)


Cut up the onion. Place it in a large stock pot with the ground chuck and brown the meat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper and garlic. (I use a lot of garlic.)




Now's the fun part. Unless you have a super size blender you'll need to do one can at a time. Puree the beets until the beets are completely liquid. They will resemble tomato paste.



Pour the beet puree into the stock pot over the cooked meat. Using a beet can, add 3 cans of water. Stir.

Add 1/4 cup cumin. It sounds like a lot, but remember this chili has NO chili powder. Cumin gives it the flavor without the nightshades.

Add more salt, pepper and garlic to taste. If the flavor isn't strong enough add more cumin, to cut the cumin's intensity add more salt.



*I have used this chili to make enchiladas, and they were great!

--Susan


What do you use for tomatoes in your nightshade free recipes?

Nightshade and Gluten Free Carnitas Recipe with Bonus Nightshade Free Guacamole Recipe

Hands down one of my favorite foods is carnitas, and since I developed my allergy several years ago it is one food that I have not been able to eat.

Typically carnitas are cooked with cayenne and chili pepper -- a big NO NO for anyone with nightshade allergies. That's why I avoided them like the plague.

Well, as you know, I am a Texas girl, and Tex-Mex food is part of my heritage, so I decided I would make my own version of this yummy dish! I should have done it much sooner.

Nightshade Free Carnitas Ingredients:

Pork shoulder roast
Raw apple cider vinegar with the mother
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Cummin
Cilantro
Lime Juice
Onion

(Traditionally carnitas are also baked with orange pieces, but I didn't have any. I'll do that next time!)

We are going to speed up the cooking process, so we'll be cooking in the oven. Set your oven to 300 degrees.

Place the pork shoulder roast in a large oven-proof pan.

Add 1/2 cup of raw apple cider vinegar with the mother over the pork.

I added a small amount of water as well, just enough that the sides of the pork was submerged in water. I did not submerge the top.

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt, pepper and garlic over the top of the pork.

Cover the top of the pork with cummin.

Place a lid on the pan and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, or until the pork is fall apart tender.

Remove the pork to a large bowl and shred it.

Chop a handful of cilantro and add it to the shredded pork.

Add 1/4 cup of lime juice over the pork and toss it. Make sure the pork is completely covered with the cilantro and lime.

Serve in corn tortillas with diced onion, sour cream and guacamole.



Bonus Recipe Nightshade Free Guacamole

Ingredients:

3 large avocados (They should be squeezable.)
Handful of cilantro
Lime
Chopped Onions
Salt

Cut the avocadoes into chunks and place in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of chopped onions, a handful of chopped cilantro, and stir.

Squirt the top of the mixture with lime juice and salt to taste.


I hope you enjoy!

--Susan


How do you make your nightshade free and gluten free carnitas?

Nightshade Free, Gluten Free, Lower Carb Hamburgers to Die For

Anyone who knows me should know that I have severe nightshade allergies. So severe that I've had to change my entire life to cope with them.

I guess it was about two years ago now that I realized (with the help of a doctor) that I had to stop eating everything that was a nightshade vegetable -- all peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, artichokes, okra, eggplant, paprika (AND EVERYTHING that contains them. Really the list goes on and on.)

That didn't leave me with a lot of pre-made food choices, and at first it was a real struggle. But, I learned to cope. I've had to do a lot of research and adjust all my recipes. Thankfully,there are some good cookbooks and websites out there. There's even a Facebook support group.


Recently, my body has started giving me fits when I eat gluten, so I also eliminated that from my diet. While I was at it, I got rid of diet sodas, artificial sweeteners, and as much extra sugar as possible -- I still eat fruits, use raw sugar in my coffee, and eat ice cream on occasion (I'm not letting that go!)

I have noticed in the last few days that the swelling in my ankles is almost completely gone and I actually feel better. For weeks I've felt sluggish, excessively tired and completely uninterested in most things. Changing my diet has changed my life.

Of course, this change, once again, means new eating habits, so I thought I'd share what we had for dinner, because it was phenomenal!


Hamburgers To Die For (serves 5)

Ingredients:

3lbs hamburger meat (your choice as to type)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Mix the ingredients in a large bowl and cook over medium high heat. You can adjust the spices to your preference.

Hamburger Topping

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion
3 large portobello mushrooms
1/2 stick real butter
Medium wedge of brie Cheese

Jullian the onions and mushrooms. Set aside. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the veggies and cook until the onions and mushrooms are caramelized. Set aside.

Slice the brie into several slices, and place them on top of the cooked hamburger. Cover with the caramelized onions and mushrooms.


Nightshade Free Honey Mustard

Ingredients:

Herlocher's Dipping  Mustard (The one  I buy is nightshade free,but always read the ingredients!)
Local honey

Place several spoon fulls of Herlocher's Dipping Mustard into a small mixing bowl. Add enough honey to give the mustard a dressing consistency.

Serve over a fresh salad.