Cooking for Karina

One of us, a gluten-free blogger, has just found out she’s also a highly allergic girl. GF blogger Ms. Bay has railed round to create a bloggy food fest to supply the Goddess with some Karina-specific allergen-free recipes.

Knowing the she’s-allergic-to-everything-what-can-she-eat territory well, I found myself on the other side of the allergic equation: what to make for a friend who has a long list of allergies?

My first response was a slight sinking feeling: what did I have in my arsenal to suit? The second response was a quick mental inventory of go-tos, each of which were shot down: no chicken, no dairy, no peanut butter, and pasta’s too simple. What to offer?

Then, I remembered this simple burger salad. I had created a variation of this for my ex-boyfriend and we both loved it.

So please enjoy this Allergic Girl to newly-diagnosed Allergic Girl Variation on Burger Salad [adapted from Rachel Ray's lamb burger salad ]

1 bulb fennel trimmed sliced thin
1 pound organic grass fed beef or your favorite chopped high quality meat
1/4 red onion, finely sliced [to taste, i love raw red onion in salad]
Salt and pepper
1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped
1 head radicchio, sliced thinly
1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil [or any favorite vinaigrette]

Make your favorite yummy burger recipe. Create small burger balls and flatten them into 3-inch meat patties. Grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.

Combine lettuces in a shallow bowl with sliced onion, fennel and oranges sections. Dress with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, to your taste. Top portions of salad with 3 mini meat patties and serve.

Comments

Sounds like a yummy salad. I'm nervous suggesting things to someone with so many allergies, but I'll see what I can come up :)
Allergic Girl® said…
well remember it's just a suggestion, she can adapt the recipe, and she's such an able cook. but i totlaly hear you, when i posted this i had a thought of oh gee is she a vegetarian?!

ps loved your wedding pix!
K Allrich said…
Dear Allergic Girl,

I am honored to have one of your recipes! This combo sounds uber-yummy. Thank you so much!

And to answer your question - yes, I've been an ovo-lacto vegetarian most of my life, with an occasional foray into seafood; and after my celiac dx, I added a little chicken to my menu.

But now - with so many protein sources verboten [and my iron low], I have tried grass-fed beef - twice. And it agrees with me. :)

So this recipe is perfect!

You rock, A-Girl.

xoxo

Karina
Allergic Girl® said…
oh goody! im so glad to hear it! you could probably adapt it further to make salmon burgers or tuna burgers atop salad if you didnt want red meat. it has endless variations. something about the protein plus salad concept hadnt really occurred to me until i saw RR make it and then i thought "what perfection!"

PS i was lacto ovo veg for 17 years as well and made the switch to meat sept 05 after i too cut out all my other protein sources like dairy and soy doing an elimination diet for my tummy.

you will endure karina, i know it's hard at first but a whole new world of food possibilities and combinations will open up to you!

best
AG
Unknown said…
oh, that looks so good! grass fed organic beef is the only protein i can tolerate, so finding a recipe with it makes me so happy!

i am allergic to most tree nuts, soy, beans, corn, gluten, fish, poultry, dairy, and mold, and my body can't break down sulfur compounds right, so i have to be very careful about onions and garlic.

but salads and beef, those i can do!

thank you again,

boo starfire

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