Lemon Cheesecake

I love dessert.  I always secretly thought you should have dessert before the main course to make sure you had room for it.  For some reason when I was growing up my parents didn't agree with this.

When I found out I was lactose intolerant, cheesecake was the first recipe I worked on.  It is my favorite dessert and I was determined not to live without it.  If you are looking for New York cheesecake, using soy cream cheese is probably not going to satify you, but if you are willing to make flavored cheesecakes, you are limited only by your imagination.  You can even make savory cheesecakes as appetizers.  Lemon and chocolate are my favorite cheesecakes.  The following recipe is very easy to adapt to whatever flavor you want.  Just take out the lemon zest and lemon extract from the filling and the lemon curd in the topping and then make whatever additions you want.

If you have issues with GERD, gastritis, and lactose intolerance as I do, I have been able to eat dairy free chocolate.  If you can't find it at a health food store it is available online.  I use it in all my baking, I get it in the semi-sweet flavor, it is the same price as the grocery store, and my family doesn't know the difference.  I have been using it for years.  Instead of a graham cracker crust I use a chocolate graham cracker crust.  That is less expensive than the chocolate wafers.  I melt 1/3 cup of the chips and mix in the filling.  For the topping, melt 1/4 C chips with 1 tlbs stick margarine and follow the directions below.  It may seem you don't have enough chocolate, but remember, people with these eating disorders have to watch how much chocolate they eat, even if it is dairy free.

Two more tips about crusts.  First, I always put some nuts in mine, toasted almonds if possible, (Make sure none of your guests are allergic) They add a nice crunch to the crust when the graham cracker may have lost it crunch.   Second, I always bake my crust, it makes it more crunchy and when it comes out of the oven, I spray it with cooking spray.  This puts a calorie free water proof seal on your crust.  Your guessed it!  I don't like soggy crusts.

                                                                 Lemon Cheesecake

Crust
14 graham cracker squares
6 tlbs. stick margarine, melted
3 tlbs. toasted almonds.
Mix together and press in the bottom and sides of a pie pan that has been sprayed with vegetable spray.  Bake at 375 for 7 min. 

Filling
11 oz. soy cream cheese, softened
2 tlbs. plus 2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
Whip soy cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually add in sugar, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest.  When combined, add eggs one at a time.  When all ingredients have been thoroughly combined, pour into pie pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 min or until firm.  Check to make sure center is firm but not over baked.

Topping
1 C soy sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. sugar
1 C lemon curd
When pie is cooled, combine soy sour cream, vanilla and sugar in one bowl.  In another bowl measure out lemon curd and whip until light and fluffy.  With alternating dollops, drops spoonfuls on lemon curd and soy sour cream mixture around pie until it is completly covered.  Gently shake pie to even out the top of the pie.  Whit a knife swirl the two mixtures around.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.  6-8 servings.

Because my husband I are emptynesters now, I don't make big desserts any more.  If you want to make this cheesecare in a springform pan, double or triple the filling recipe and adjust the baking time.

Next time:  How I relearned to eat in a restaurant or how what I did to make sure I wasn't the one left at home.


      

Chicken Enchiladas

       I love Mexican food.  We would have it every night for dinner, but my husband Jay doesn't like it that much nor does my stomach.  I thought with my diagnosis of GERD, gastritis, and lactose intolerance one of my favorites was gone forever.
        Once I figured out how to make la sagna, I was on my way to chicken enchiladas with just a few changes.  First, I put fresh cilantro in each enchilada as I am assembling it.  If you aren't familiar with cilantro, it's in the produce section and it is an acquired taste.  Make sure you like it before you put it in a dozen enchiladas.  Second, I cut the onion in slices and cut the slices in half and then saute them.  I leave the onion in big pieces so I can find them after the enchiladas are baked and can remove them.  I like the flavor of them cooked in the enchiladas but I can't eat them.  If even having the real onions is going to bother you, substitute 2 tsp. dried minced onion.  If it isn't, cut them in smaller pieces.  Third, there are many soy and rice cheeses you can use.  They really look and taste like the real thing and melt on top.  My favorite is the soy cheddar, jack, mozzarrella.  I leave a few black olives to sprinkle on top to make it look nice.    

                                                           Chicken Enchiladas

1 dozen corn tortillas(You can substitute flour if you want)
2 cans tomato soup
equivalent of 1 can lactose free milk
1 tsp. cumin
3 small cans or 1 large can of sliced black olives, drained
3 tblsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
4 chicken breasts (you can save time by using leftover chicken or using cooked chickens from the      grocery store.)
1/2 onion sliced and each slice cut in half
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cups soy or rice cheddar or cheddar, jack, mozzarrella cheese combination

     Cook chicken and cut in small cubes.  Set aside.
     Saute onions.  When they are nearly done, add garlic.  (If you are using dried onion, just add the dried onion and garlic to the next step.) When they are cooked add soup, milk, and cumin.  Stir and let simmer.
     In small amounts, steam the tortillas in damp paper towels in the microwave oven. 
     Spray a 9 in. square baking dish.  Spoon a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the dish.  In the center of each tortilla spoon a little sauce, some chicken, cilantro, olives, and cheese.  Roll tortilla and continue until you have one layer of the dish filled.  Spoon sauce over the enchiladas then continue with another layer until all the tortillas are used.  Finish with a layer of sauce, sprinkling of cheese and a sprinkling of olives.                 Bake at 375 for 30 min.    Check to make sure it doesn't burn.

See you next week for my favorite dessert:  Cheesecake  It was the first recipe I converted after my diagnosis because I knew I couldn't live without it.  Bye.

How to Make La Sagna

     I love watching cooking shows.  The host enthusiastically comes on and says, "Today I am going to show you how to make a spicy dinner your family will love."  Did you hear that word?  SPICY If you have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) or gastritis, spicy is not in your vocabulary.  But the host is never going to come on and say, "Today I am going to show you how to make a bland dinner your family will love."  Who would make that dish or watch that show?
     Even though there is a growing number to the millions of people who already have GERD and gastitis, I can't find a single show that caters to people like me.  Add lactose intolerance on top, and my restrictions can seem overwhelming.  Lactose intolerance means no milk, cream, butter, sour cream, cream cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese, and yogurt.
     Put this together with the other two eating disorders and it appears the only foods I can eat are soda crackers and water.
     But fear not, I was determined to find a solution to my problem.
     First I decided to tackle la sagna.  My first problem was the marinara sauce.  I can't have tomatoes because of the acid.  I've tried them in every form:  fresh, canned, I even grew my own low acid tomatoes.  Nothing worked, I was stumped.  Them I thought of cream of tomato soup.  If I dilute it with lactose free milk I can have tomato soup. 
     If you think the tomato soup/lactose free milk combination is a poor substitute for marinara sauce ingredient, remember I was facing a life with no Italian food.
     What really makes the marinara sauce with the tomato soup base work are the spices and herbs.  Here you can use my recipe or what you traditionally use in your own recipe.
     The meat selection can also be your own choice.  I use hamburger and drain the fat after browning to keep the la sagna as fat free as possible because that can be a problem for people like me.
      If you aren't lactose intolerant you can use whatever cheese or combination you want.  If you are, there is a large selection of soy cheeses made to look and taste like mozarella cheese.  As a sub for the ricotta between the layers I mix soy cream cheese with herbs and spices.
     Following is the recipe I developed for la sagna for those of us who suffer from GERD, gastritis, and lactose intolerance.  It works for me and even my husband likes it.  I hope it allows you to have la sagna when you thought you wouldn't be able to have an Italian favorite without reprecussions later.

                                                               La Sagna

1 box fresh mushrooms, cleaned
1.3 C Marsala wine or chicken broth
1 lb. hamburger
2 cans cream of tomato soup
1 can lactose free milk
1 tlbs.dried minced onion
1tsp. oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, 2 tsp. minced garlic
2 8 oz. container soy cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. oregano, Italian seasoning, herbes de Provence
6 partially cooked la sagna noodles
1/4 C rice or soy mozarella cheese
     Brown mushrooms in margarine, then add wine or broth and simmer until liquid is gone.  Set aside.  In same skillet, brown hamburger, salt and pepper to taste, drain fat.  Add soup milk, onion, and first set of seasonings and simmer about twenty minutes until it thickens. 
     In a food processor blend soy cream cheese and second set of seasongs.
     In a 9-in. square baking dish sprayed with vegetable spray, alternate layers of meat sauce, noodles, soy cream cheese mixture ending with meat sauce on top.  Bake at 350F for 20-30 min. when noodles are almost done.  Sprinkle soy or rice mozarella cheese on top and bake about 10min. more.  Check to make sure it doesn't burn.    9 servings.

See you next week when I will share a recipe for Mexican food.  Bye.

    
1tlbs milk

Relearning How to Eat

      My name is Joan Oaks-Clark and I am a fellow GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) sufferer.  I was first diagnosed over twenty years ago.  Since then gastritis and then lactose intolerance have been added to the list.  I have seen many doctors, had many tests and taken many drugs.  I have a pile of books telling me what I can't eat and mostly what they do is make me depressed.

     I am on several medications still and under the care of a doctor.  What I noticed while reading some of these books is that what they were saying didn't seem to apply to me.  I have a friend with similar symptoms and some things I can eat she can't and vice versa, so I have come to the conclusion the GERD, gastritis, and lactose intolerance are all like snowflakes, everyone is different.  Each person has to figure out what works for them.  Now I am NOT a doctor or nutritionist so don't take my word as medical advice, I am just saying what I have learned works for me.

     I decided instead of reading these books and focusing on what I couldn't eat, I would focus on what I could eat.  Cooking and baking are two of my passions so I was sure I could come up with tasty dishes.  Mexican and Italian foods are two of my favorites, but how do you make them if you can't have tomatoes or cheese?  In future blogs I will share some of my recipes.

     All of the books I read said NO chocolate.  What's the point of living?  I have found if I don't have it in large quantities or frequently I can have nondairy chocolate.  This can be found at health food stores or on the internet.  My family can't tell the difference if I use nondairy chocolate in all my baking.

     Look for more next time on how I handle the triple threat of GERD, gastritis, and lactose intolerance.