THE LIST is a national Emmy-award winning show and delivers everything you need to know about life hacks, pop culture trends, deals, gadgets and DIY projects in the form of a fun list. If it’s happening, it’s on THE LIST.
And it IS happening! CertiStar Founder and CEO, Shandee Chernow, was featured on the January 29th episode of THE LIST talking with Kristina Guerrero about including food allergic guests when entertaining.
First, thank you for inviting your food allergic guest to your home! And thank you for helping to ensure they are safe. They are thrilled and appreciate your hospitality!
Once the invitation is extended, take a few minutes and discuss the food allergens and how best to ensure your guest’s safety. Your guest will be a wealth of information and will be happy to answer any and all questions while you are deciding and planning the menu.
Your food allergic guest will be happy to have a few choices of food. Typically there isn’t a need to ensure everything is safe, a few safe items will make your guest feel welcome.
Also while preparing the menu be aware of hidden ingredients. If using packaged foods, read the ingredients label. If there is a concern, you may swap ingredients. During The List, Shandee talks about Worcestershire sauce. It may have hidden anchovies and would be a concern for those with fish allergies. Shandee also discusses BBQ Sauce that may have pineapple and chose a different sauce without pineapple. Keep ingredient lists from packaged foods for your guest to review before eating.
Keeping your guests safe can be as simple as swapping foods – Shandee’s examples include exchanging pumpkin seeds for tree nuts in the endive salad and mustard vinaigrette for butter in the roasted potatoes.
When the food has been prepared and is ready serve, guests with food allergies should serve themselves first. The food items with the allergens should be served to the far right. Ensure that all the dishes have their own serving tools and not shared across menu items, and be aware of “fly-overs”. These actions limit the potential for cross contamination of food allergens into the safe foods.
Enjoy your gathering and know that you made ALL your guests feel welcome!
Click here to view this episode of “The List”
Below are the recipes that we featured. A very special thank you to Lance for creating these recipes for us! Enjoy!
Endive Leaves
- 2 heads of endive lettuce
- 2 raw red peppers or 1 jar of roasted red peppers
- 1 Vidalia onion
- ½ stick of butter
- ¾ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Slice the top off the red peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Place on a roasting pan, skin side up, under broiler in the oven. Roast 6-10 minutes until the skins are black. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cooled, peel the black skins under running water. (eliminate this step if using jarred roasted peppers) Slice into strips.
Separate the leaves of the endive, rinse, and set aside on paper towels to dry.
Slice the onion into rings and place in a sauté pan with the butter and some salt. Sauté on low for an hour, stirring occasionally, until browned.
Place the vinegar and sugar in a small pan over medium low heat and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally until reduced to syrupy.
Assembly
Once everything has cooled, place one endive leaf up on a plate (so it looks like a canoe), lay in 1-2 strips of the pepper, and a few strands of onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the balsamic syrup in an artful way!
BBQ Chicken Kale Wraps
- 8 small kale leaves or 4 large, cut in half crosswise
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens
- 5 tablespoons prepared bbq sauce
Preparation
Wash and dry kale leaves well; cut out any tough ribs or stems.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk barbecue sauce, vinegar and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the sauce mixture and stir to combine. Serve in the kale leaves, topped with cabbage, carrots and scallion greens.
Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken
- 1 whole oven stuffer roaster chicken
- 2 lemons
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons of poultry rub: can be made by mixing equal parts dry sage, dry oregano, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and just a touch of pepper
Preparation
Remove the innards from the chicken, rinse out the cavity, and pat dry. Place it in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up.
Squeeze 1 lemon all over the outside. Sprinkle the rub all over, getting into the joints and crevasses, and dump the rest into the cavity.
Slice the other lemon and squeeze into the cavity, and place the halves inside the chicken. Slice the garlic and add it into the cavity.
Roast at 400 degrees for approximately 90 minutes
Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Roasted Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette
- 6-8 medium sized red potatoes, mostly peeled, cut into 1-2’ pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- Salt and pepper
Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
Preparation
For the vinaigrette, crush the garlic clove in a small bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, and mix thoroughly.
Toss the potato pieces in the oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Place in a single layer in a roasting pan and roast at 425 for 35 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven when crispy and brown, and arrange on a plate. Spoon some of the vinaigrette over and serve.
Beef Kabobs
- 2-3lbs sirloin steak, cut into kabob pieces, usually 2”
- 8 large cherry tomatoes
- 2 medium sized Vidalia onions
- 1 red pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- Salt and pepper
- 4 bamboo or wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Beef Broth (use as marinade for the sirloin or serve on the side)
- 1 cup of beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- 1 – 3 teaspoons of brown sugar to taste
Preparation
Cut the onion into medium sized wedges, about 6 per onion.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the core and seeds. Cut into 2” pieces.
Remove one skewer from the water, and thread in the following order: sirloin, red pepper, onion, orange pepper, tomato. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, and salt and pepper all of them.
Preheat a grill to medium high, and grill the kabobs for 16 minutes, turning every 5 to cook evenly.
Serve as is on the skewers, or remove meat and vegetables and arrange on a plate to serve.
Poached Pears
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup white wine, champagne, or white cranberry juice
- 2 medium pears, peeled and halved
- Raspberries for garnish
Preparation
In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar and wine to a boil. Reduce heat; carefully add pears. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until tender. Remove pears