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Dairy, Refined Sugar and Gluten Free Recipes that Will Make Your Tastebuds Sing!

When a nutritionist told this foodie to go on an elimination diet to treat my Rheumatoid Arthritis a few years ago, I was devastated but determined to find delicious dairy, refined sugar and gluten free recipes that I would actually ENJOY eating! 

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8 Dairy, Refined Sugar and Gluten Free Recipes that Will Make Your Tastebuds Sing. Being on a restricted diet does not mean food has to be bland. These easy and delicious recipes are sure to please your tastebuds and your kids will love it too!

Growing up with an East Indian mother who is the best cook on the planet, I never remember having a bland meal as a kid. Indian food is melt in your mouth good because of all the variety of spices that meld together as it cooks. And my mom can taste any dish in any restaurant and make it even better at home. She created a monstrous foodie in me who simply loves to eat.

So when the nutritionist told me a couple years ago that I needed to go on an elimination diet to help my Rheumatoid Arthritis, I was devastated. How was I going to find dairy, refined sugar AND gluten free recipes that my kids who struggle to gain weight would actually eat? What on earth were we going to eat besides salad?

This diet completely changed the way I had to eat and now the way I cooked for my family too. Not only did I have to give up my favorite foods, I had to find new recipes to try because the recipes that I finally mastered and my boys devoured without fail also violated my diet restrictions. I have to confess it’s been a challenge to find dairy, refined sugar and gluten free recipes that don’t taste as bland as cardboard. 

But I am a recipe hoarder and Pinterest addict so I scoured my recipes and tried my share of dairy, refined sugar AND gluten free recipes in the efforts to find SOMETHING delicious that my kids would love to eat. Just because I have to be on a dairy, refined sugar and gluten free diet, does NOT mean my family and I can’t enjoy great food! I want them to think of me as an amazing cook like I do of my mom. And let me tell you, these recipes will have you ready to get in the kitchen and whip up some yummy eats that will make your tastebuds sing and earn you the “best cook ever” title too.

4 Delicious Dinners 

 

1. Slow Cooker Chipotle Barbacoa and Cilantro-Lime Rice 

This fall-apart tender Slow Cooker Chipotle Barbacoa can be used in tacos with corn tortillas or pile it on top of tortilla chips for nachos, on top of the cilantro-lime rice for a rice bowl or on top of gluten-free crust with dairy-free cheese for a gourmet pizza.

I make this one for parties because it is easy to put more meat in the slow cooker*. Serve it straight from the slow cooker and make a taco or nacho bar so people can build their own to suit their dietary restrictions and tastes.

Just pretend that dairy-free cheese is melted all over the nachos, I was too hungry at lunch to wait for these babies and it was still amazing! 

Slow Cooker Chipotle Barbacoa is an amazing delicious dairy, sugar and gluten free recipe that will make your tastebuds sing. Serve it in tacos or on top of nachos with dairy free cheese. Also makes an easy and impressive dish for parties set up as a taco or nacho bar your guests are sure to love.

2. Beef and Guinness Stew and Rosemary Garlic Red Potatoes

My photo below from when I made this recipe does not do the Rosemary Garlic Red Potatoes justice, it is incredibly flavorful and perfect especially on cold winter days. Once you throw everything in the stock pot*, it cooks low and slow on the stovetop and smells sooo delicious. To keep this stew gluten free, I omitted the flour and thickened the stew with cornstarch and cold water to desired consistency. I served it over our favorite roasted Rosemary Garlic Red Potatoes because for my boys, every beef stew needs potatoes too.

Guinness and Beef Stew with Rosemary Garlic Potatoes is a dairy, refined sugar AND gluten free recipe that will make your tastebuds sing!

3. Easy Rotisserie Chicken You Can Make at Home

I actually make this easy rotisserie chicken instead of turkey on holidays when it’s just the five of us and there’s a funny story in the link about how I tried to convince my kids it was in fact chicken on Thanksgiving. I’ll let you in on the secret to making this chicken is to cook it vertically on a bundt pan*. That way you can put the vegetables on the bottom, the chicken rests on top and you’ve got a one pot meal that takes a few minutes to prep. Easy prep and easy cleanup? That’s a small victory for busy moms!

The Secret to Easy Rotisserie Chicken Recipe You can Make at Home + 13 Delicious Ways to Use Leftover Chicken...if you have any leftovers!

 

4. Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Fried Green Plantains and Mojo Sauce

There are a few ways you can make the Caribbean Jerk Chicken. The easy way is to bake the chicken with some Jerk seasoning* on it or put some chicken breast in a slow cooker*. with some Jerk chicken marinade (you have to be careful of sugar content in the sauces though so read the label). I make Rachael Ray’s Jerk chicken from her Yum-O cookbook with the roasted veggies and pineapple which is fabulous and pictured below with rice. 

Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Arroz con Gandules is a delicious dairy, refined sugar and gluten free meal that will make your tastebuds sing.

The rice pictured above is delicious but it takes more work to prepare. The fried green plantains (tostones) are a simple side dish and ridiculously inexpensive. Making the mojo sauce ahead of time with fresh cilantro, Italian parsley and garlic is a good idea so flavors can mix. The sauce is an acquired taste for the little ones but it’s ok the bigger kids and adults love it (and it’s great with kettle potato chips too). I’ve been making the jerk chicken with the tostones lately to simplify the time I spend in the kitchen. 

Tostones with Mojo Sauce is a simple and inexpensive side dish that will add a wonderful and tasty Caribbean flair to your meal.

 

4 Delectable Desserts

I’m so glad Morgan is helping me out with these incredible dairy free desserts! If you haven’t checked them out already, you’ll want to. I’m making the pina colada popsicles first! 

1. Sugar Free Orange Creamsicles

 

2. Pina Colada Popsicles 

2 Ingredient Sugar Free and Dairy Free Pina Colada popsicles by Morgan Manages Mommyhood is a delicious summertime treat your kids will love!

3. Healthier Peanut Butter Cup

Healthier Peanut Butter Cup are Refined Sugar Free and Dairy Free treats you and your kids are sure to love!

4. Freezer Fudge Cups 3 Ways 

Freezer Fudge cups are Refined Sugar Free and Dairy Free treats you and your kids are sure to love!

Just because we’re on restricted diets doesn’t mean we can’t savor great food! I hope you enjoy these flavorful dairy free, refined sugar free AND gluten free recipes. Your body and bellies will thank you for fueling it with delicious, all natural food that will make your tastebuds sing! Happy eating and thanks Morgan for allowing me to share my family’s favorite recipes with your readers. I hope everyone found something new to try that your families will love! 

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Need help figuring out if a restricted diet will help improve your health? Subscribe to my newsletter and download my FREE Food and Symptom Tracker here and take charge of understanding your body today.

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Other Posts Like This You Might Enjoy:

5 Essential Steps to Understanding Chronic Illness – How I Did It & You Can Too

Cooking with Rheumatoid Arthritis Recipe Index 

My 8 Must Have Kitchen Gadgets for Cooking with Rheumatoid Arthritis 

What are your favorite dairy, refined sugar and gluten free recipes? Please do share, I’m always willing to try something new to feed my hungry boys! 

7 Comments

  1. A great round-up of wonderful recipes, Tanya! I hope these new recipes are helping with your arthritis. I have osteoarthritis and know that salt is NOT my friend. It’s a constant battle of aches and pains, esp. in my hands and then my face swells! Not pretty. Thank you for sharing at Share Your Style #210.

    Hugs,
    Barb 🙂

    1. I’m sorry to hear about your osteoarthritis. I don’t like much salt at all, so I usually get the low or no sodium broths, etc. I don’t have much active inflammation anymore, but it will be interesting to see if it does, to look out for if I had something salty. Thanks for the tip and for hosting the linkup!!

  2. For the most part I’m dairy-free, except on Fridays. I try to cut gluten, but I fail at that most of the time. I have PCOS, so it would be wise of me to stick to my paleo diet. But I’m also a flawed human, so I crumble sometimes.
    Have you tried turmeric tea? My husband swears by it. 🙂 I just purchased turmeric chocolates for him, which help with his soreness.
    XO

  3. I’ve spent the past few weeks eating healthier (avoiding refined sugars for the most part and counting carbs and calories) and I have more energy and just feel better in general. I haven’t had the courage to eliminate dairy, though. I really like cheese and yogurt. I’m trying to inspire myself by trying out new recipes without dairy so I’m really excited for this post. Time to get cooking!

    PS I just found your blog and am really enjoying it 🙂 I look forward to reading more.

  4. I didn’t realize you’d been trying a restricted diet. Good for you! This is supposed to be the best kind of diet for those of us with immune disorders – reduces inflammation, increases energy, reduces GI problems, etc. As you know, we eat Paleo – which is pretty much what you are describing, only no grains instead of just no gluten.

    So, you might want to look at some Paleo recipes to add to your repertoire!

    Along those lines, you can check out my own cooking posts which are almost always Paleo-type recipes that fit your criteria and/or cookbook reviews that would fit your needs:

    http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/search/label/cooking

    So glad this change has been good for you, with such great results! My son and I definitely feel better eating this way (though he still grumbles about it).

    Sue

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