I work with many people who have to follow a gluten-free diet, often due to non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Many of the same people wind up having to follow a dairy-free diet as well due to an intolerance, allergy, or preference. As one of the nutritionists at the UltraWellness Center and someone who follows a gluten-free diet herself, I am on a constant search for the most delicious recipes that fit within these restrictions.

I often hear from patients who have to remove specific foods or food groups from their diet that they are anxious about telling their families or significant others about these restrictions. I usually hear concerns such as “I don’t want to be THAT person,” or “I want to be able to cook one meal that my whole family will love.” If this sounds like you, trust me, you are not alone. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that “gluten-” and “dairy-free” means flavor-free, too.

The good news is that is simply not the case, and I’ve got plenty of recipes to prove it! I have the good fortune of dating a wonderful Italian man who loves bread and cheese, isn’t shy in the kitchen, and is willing to try anything at least once. After a few months of experimenting with gluten-free and dairy-free recipes to accommodate my restrictions, he wound up enjoying some of the recipes so much he suggested I write a blog to highlight some of our favorites. So, from our kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy these delicious gluten-free and dairy-free recipes as much as we do:

Cobb salad: https://paleoglutenfree.com/recipes/paleo-grilled-chicken-caesar-cobb-salad/

Dr. Hyman’s Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Cucumber Salad and Cashew “Yogurt”: https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/12/06/lamb-meatballs-tomato-cucumber-salad-cashew-yogurt/. After a couple of attempts, we prefer the meatballs with a longer cooking time, closer to 25-30 minutes.

Paleo Chili: https://www.laurafuentes.com/paleo-chili-recipe-all-meat-veggie/

Instant Pot Butter Chicken: https://twosleevers.com/instant-pot-butter-chicken/. We used coconut milk in place of cream and used ghee in place of butter, which removes the dairy proteins and lactose. If you need to avoid ghee, you can use coconut oil instead. And if you are carbohydrate sensitive, I suggest skipping the rice and using cauliflower rice instead.

Pizza: Here are our two favorite crusts:

 https://eatcaulipower.com/product/paleo-cauliflower-pizza-crust

 https://www.simplemills.com/products/almond-flour-pizza-crust-mix

 Favorite toppings (we rotate, depending on what we’re in the mood for):

• Grilled pasture-raised chicken
• Ground grass-fed meat/meatball crumbles
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Onion
• Basil
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Dairy-free pesto
• Tomato sauce
• Dairy-free cheese: https://www.kite-hill.com/our-food/artisanal-delicacy/
• Nutritional Yeast

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to temperature and prepare crust per instruction specified on the pizza crust package.
2. While oven is heating, in a large skillet, cook chicken or meat in 1 tablespoon avocado oil or ghee over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes (less may be needed if cooking ground meat), or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet.
3. Place crust on pizza pan or cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. Without the toppings, place crust in the oven and let heat up about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. While crust is heating, lightly sauté vegetables of choice in large skillet.
5. Remove crust from oven and place a thin layer of dairy-free pesto or tomato sauce across the crust. Then, put vegetable toppings of choice along with the meat and top it off with dairy-free cheese, if desired.
6. Put pizza back in the oven until crust is golden brown on the edges. Enjoy!

Bonus recipe:

Carob Mint Twist Ice Cream

Ingredients:

•   1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
•   4 egg yolks
•   ¾ cup extra virgin avocado oil
•   ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons honey
•   ½ teaspoon vanilla
•   1 teaspoon peppermint extract
•   ¼ teaspoon salt
•   2 tablespoons carob powder

Instructions:

1. Heat coconut milk on medium heat, stirring frequently.
2. Add egg yolks to a medium bowl and place bowl on the counter next to stove.
3. When coconut milk begins to steam (before it boils), add ½ cup of the hot milk to the egg yolks and whisk.
4. Once fully whisked, slowly pour the coconut milk and egg yolk mixture into remaining coconut milk in the pot. Continue stirring, and keep the heat low enough so the egg does not curdle. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the mixture is creamy.
5. Pour the fully cooked coconut milk and egg yolk custard into the medium bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
6. Once cooled, add the avocado oil, honey, vanilla, peppermint, salt, and carob. Mix well to combine. Putting this in a blender is best, to thoroughly mix in the carob powder.
7. Once mixed, place in an ice cream maker OR put in freezer-safe container and place in freezer. Whisk every 30 minutes until fully hardened.

I hope these incredible gluten-free dairy-free recipes help you and your loved ones navigate dietary changes in an easy and enjoyable way!