By Andrea Meyers of Andrea’s Recipes

My childhood memories of Thanksgiving dinners are filled with images of family gathered around several tables, big turkeys, gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, beans, sweet potatoes, rolls, and pumpkin and pecan pies. Back then we didn’t think about food allergies, we just cooked and ate. Then after years of illness my sister was diagnosed with celiac disease in her 30s, and we began to pay more attention to how we cooked and made sure we had plenty of delicious gluten-free food on the menu at family gatherings. The changes weren’t difficult, we just had to spend a few extra minutes planning and creating a proper grocery list.

Though many foods can cause an allergic reaction, the most common food allergens are wheat (gluten), fish, shellfish, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and milk (lactose), and they might be obviously present or perhaps hidden in many foods. The single most important thing to do when planning the Thanksgiving meal is communicate with everyone who will be at the table with you. When you invite your guests, politely ask that they let you know if there are any food allergies you should be aware of. If any guests indicates they or their children have food allergies, make sure you ask for details and inquire about the severity as some allergens such as peanuts can cause a reaction by the mere presence of minute particles in the air, it just depends on the person. If a guest indicates their allergy is potentially life-threatening, it’s better to avoid that ingredient completely in all your dishes. It’s also important to be aware that some people have multiple allergies. Once you have all the information, you can plan your menu as necessary.

When preparing the meal, start with very clean pots, pans, knives, utensils, counters, and cutting boards. If you plan to serve a dish with a non-life threatening allergen, you should avoid cross contamination by using separate cooking and serving utensils. You may even want to set aside food or separate condiments for a guest with allergies, just ask what he or she prefers. Communication is key to having an enjoyable meal that keeps everyone safe.

Start Fresh

Start planning the meal around fresh vegetables cooked in a way that’s doesn’t require allergens such as gluten or dairy, and an easy and flavorful way to do that is to roast the vegetables with olive oil. Roasting potatoes and squash is pretty common, but cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans also taste delicious when roasted. Try the garlic-roasted green beans from Kalyn’s Kitchen, the golden roasted cauliflower from Brownie Points, or the roasted broccoli with chili garlic oil from Pinch My Salt.

Gluten-Free Dishes

Awareness of gluten allergy has risen substantially in recent years, and the number of bloggers writing about gluten free foods grows daily. Karina of Karina’s Kitchen has a list of gluten-free bloggers on her website as well as a custom search that helps readers find gluten-free foods from many blogs. If you need to prepare a gluten-free menu, select a turkey that isn’t injected with seasonings as the seasoning may have gluten ingredients. If you can’t tell by the ingredient list, you can call the company to ask. The naturally gluten-free roast turkey recipe from Kitchen Parade is fantastic and easy, or for a smaller crowd my turkey breast in a slow-cooker might be enough.

Avoid premade gravies and seasoning packets as they often contain gluten ingredients. Try the gluten-free stuffing made with gluten-free bread, fresh herbs, and chicken stock from Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef. Prepare vegetables without breaded toppings or use gluten-free bread that has been ground up in a food processor as a substitute such the gluten-free version of the traditional green bean casserole at Gluten Free Mommy.

A basket of dinner rolls is traditional for Thanksgiving meals, and if you want to make your own gluten-free dinner rolls, try the beautiful gluten-free dinner rolls with rosemary and teff from Book of Yum or the easy gluten-free dinner rolls from A Gluten-Free Guide. And yes, it is possible to make gluten-free Thanksgiving desserts. Karina’s crustless vegan and gluten-free pumpkin pie has a smooth rich custard that might even fool your omnivore guests, and Shauna’s gluten-free pie crust is easy to make.

Dairy and Egg Free Dishes

The ingredient that typically causes problems with dairy foods is lactose, a sugar present in milk, and in eggs it’s typically the egg whites that trigger an allergic reaction. Vegan substitutes often work well in recipes that call for milk or eggs, but some alternative milks also contain allergens such as soy, almond, and coconut, so make sure you talk with your guests. Susan’s vegan creamy scalloped potatoes won the kid seal of approval from her daughter, and Diane makes her creamy dairy free mashed potatoes with a potato ricer to keep them light and fluffy. Diane’s easy pumpkin pudding with coconut milk is a delicious alternative to a crusted pie, and Alisa’s beautiful pumpkin pie is both dairy-free and soy-free. And if it’s cheesecake you are craving, try the gluten free vegan pumpkin cheesecake from Book of Yum.

There are a number of organizations devoted to educating the public about food allergies, and you can read more about it at Kids with Food Allergies, The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, and Allergy Moms.

The FoodieView Recipe Search Engine also makes it easy to find more delicious recipes for Thanksgiving that are gluten-free or dairy-free.

Andrea Meyers write about cooking, edible gardening, and her four hungry guys. Her Thanksgiving menu includes several gluten or dairy free dishes, such as slow-cooker turkey breast, cranberries with orange zest and port, and roasted butternut squash puree with ginger.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 11:07 am and is filed under Recipe Roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.