We have a lot of allergies in our family so when it came to foods that are typical allergens we avoided them for the first year. That meant no dairy, no wheat, and no eggs for the first year and no nuts till three years old. This is on the conservative side but from what I understand of food allergies in children is if they are going to have a sensitivity to a food by avoiding that food early in life it will lessen the allergy. Since you don't know what they could be allergic to the most effective tool you have is to avoid anything that is a potential allergen. That being said when my son turned one he had never had wheat, eggs, dairy, or sugar. I didn't want to give him a cupcake full of tummy ache his birthday so I asked other women I knew who had similar food ideas and babies of the same age and came up with a cake that involved barley flour, applesauce, coconut oil, and bananas. Until this day I had never cooked with coconut oil. So I bought the oil and used it in the muffin/cupcakes and promptly forgot about it in the cupboard. Now that we are having a discussion about coconut oil I am remembering that I have some and trying to think of ways I can use it based on Dr. Crystal's suggestions.
I wish the recipe I had to share with you today was for those muffins, that were pretty good, but I cannot find the recipe anywhere. I am going to do some more digging and see if I can't get back to you on that. In lieu of that recipe I want to share a dessert recipe that I feel comfortable sharing with my son (we are still being very light handed with sugar, so as to delay the inevitable sugar addiction). It is a Thai dessert made with black rice and coconut milk.
Black Sticky Rice
- 1 cup black glutinous rice (sometimes called forbidden rice, can be found at Asian markets, just tell them what you want to make and they will help you find the right stuff)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (or substitute maple syrup)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cans coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 eggs
- a little coconut cream (to serve)
If cooking on the stove, be sure to soak the rice overnight, or for at least 6 hours (otherwise the rice will take all day to cook). Then place drained rice in a pot together with brown sugar, salt, 1 can coconut milk, and all the water. Boil half-covered until the liquid has been absorbed and rice is soft to chewy. (If necessary, add 1 cup more water and continue cooking until rice is tender)
If using slow cooker: Place drained rice in slow cooker together with brown sugar, salt, 1 can coconut milk, and all the water. Cook overnight or all day on "low", OR for 2-3 hours on "high", until all liquid is absorbed. Rice should be soft to chewy in texture. (If the rice is too tough, add 1 cup more water and allow to continue cooking until done.)
When rice is done cooking, allow to cool slightly. Add the remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk plus the eggs. Mix thoroughly. Dip your finger in to check the taste - add a little more sugar if needed.
Pour this mixture into one large baking dish, or divide up into individual ramekins. Cover with tin foil (or a lid if using a baking dish). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and either serve warm, or place in the refrigerator and serve cold (it's good both ways!). When serving, add a dollop of coconut cream on top (the solid cream from the top of a can of thick coconut milk), or whipped cream. Enjoy with a strong cup of tea or coffee.
Recipe from: http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaidesserts/r/Thairicepudding.htm
Enjoy!
Chef Brett
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