Nightshade Free, Gluten Free, Lower Carb Hamburgers to Die For

Anyone who knows me should know that I have severe nightshade allergies. So severe that I've had to change my entire life to cope with them.

I guess it was about two years ago now that I realized (with the help of a doctor) that I had to stop eating everything that was a nightshade vegetable -- all peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, artichokes, okra, eggplant, paprika (AND EVERYTHING that contains them. Really the list goes on and on.)

That didn't leave me with a lot of pre-made food choices, and at first it was a real struggle. But, I learned to cope. I've had to do a lot of research and adjust all my recipes. Thankfully,there are some good cookbooks and websites out there. There's even a Facebook support group.


Recently, my body has started giving me fits when I eat gluten, so I also eliminated that from my diet. While I was at it, I got rid of diet sodas, artificial sweeteners, and as much extra sugar as possible -- I still eat fruits, use raw sugar in my coffee, and eat ice cream on occasion (I'm not letting that go!)

I have noticed in the last few days that the swelling in my ankles is almost completely gone and I actually feel better. For weeks I've felt sluggish, excessively tired and completely uninterested in most things. Changing my diet has changed my life.

Of course, this change, once again, means new eating habits, so I thought I'd share what we had for dinner, because it was phenomenal!


Hamburgers To Die For (serves 5)

Ingredients:

3lbs hamburger meat (your choice as to type)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Mix the ingredients in a large bowl and cook over medium high heat. You can adjust the spices to your preference.

Hamburger Topping

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion
3 large portobello mushrooms
1/2 stick real butter
Medium wedge of brie Cheese

Jullian the onions and mushrooms. Set aside. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the veggies and cook until the onions and mushrooms are caramelized. Set aside.

Slice the brie into several slices, and place them on top of the cooked hamburger. Cover with the caramelized onions and mushrooms.


Nightshade Free Honey Mustard

Ingredients:

Herlocher's Dipping  Mustard (The one  I buy is nightshade free,but always read the ingredients!)
Local honey

Place several spoon fulls of Herlocher's Dipping Mustard into a small mixing bowl. Add enough honey to give the mustard a dressing consistency.

Serve over a fresh salad.