Sun-tella Spread.

Food allergies didn't really sneak up on us in this house. It is something I always expected with my oldest. I have a lot of allergies (as did my mother growing up) and starting at a young age he refused specific foods (they made his mouth feel "spicy").  We noticed hives/stomach issues immediately after certain foods.  So we adapted.

We did food elimination diets, rotations - you name it. What we hadn't quite realized along the way was how sensitive he is to even the smallest, most minute, amount; and how potentially life threatening any exposure or reaction can be. We never knew when it would be hives/vomiting or if it will be full anaphylaxis.  About a year ago we realized even with how "careful" we thought we were being with what we knew he reacted to, he was getting sick even without the offending foods in his diet, elimination diets were not enough, and it was time to get more answers.

Through testing, we confirmed peanut and tree nut among a long list of other allergies.  I know now that many kids are super sensitive to even the tiniest of exposure such as made in the same factory on the same line. So we changed EVERYTHING about how he eats and how WE eat.

We make our own foods from scratch most of the time anyway, but even with that, we found if basic pantry supplies (flours, grains, oils, juices, etc.) were made on shared equipment or in the same facility, he would have a reaction.  We discovered that even if the rest of us ate his allergen that was carefully prepared and cleaned our hands and mouths immediately after, he would often still have reactions. So no more nuts, nut butters of any kind, or products containing nuts come into our home. We are careful about every ingredient we use. Now, he rarely gets sick or has reactions anymore (knock on wood), and we feel our diligence is paying off. 

My husband lived in Germany a few times during his childhood, and he talks longingly about having the classic chocolate-hazelnut spread on toast for breakfast and/or Kaffeeklatsch often. Not only is the modern day version of these spreads filled with mostly sugar and emulsifiers these days, but it also has dairy and nuts. Two of the top allergens in our household. So I have been working on making a nut free/dairy free version of chocolate spread that he can eat on his toast.

Since my son is allergic to so many protein foods (red meats, dairy, nuts, gluten) using healthy seeds is a nice addition to our diet. Sunflower seeds have a lot of vitamins such as Vitamin E, B1, manganese, iron, selenium, calcium, folate, B6, B3, and of course protein and good fats.

This recipe starts with sunbutter. You can make your own by whizzing fresh sunflower seeds in a Vitamix until it is creamy. I use sunbutter because this brand is produced in a peanut/tree nut free facility, which can be hard to verify with bulk seeds. Their employees are not even allowed to bring any peanut products in their lunches. Same thing goes with the rest of the ingredients - I use them because I have checked and he has been good with them before.

This recipe is pretty simple - sunflower seed butter, coconut cream/manna, cold press grapeseed oil, chocolate chips, maple syrup, vanilla bean, and sea salt.  If you have allergies, be sure to check the manufacturing processes used for your ingredients. I have links to what I have used, but remember that production processes can change and what I may have verified recently (yet again) is for our specific allergies, and also may change if you are reading this in a year or in another country.

Always remember to double check!

Sun-tella Spread

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{wholly rooted}

Delicious spreadable sunflower seed chocolate spread. Great on toast, with graham crackers, as a dip for apples, or by the spoonful. {GF/NF/DF}

{ingredients}

• 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter

• 1/4 cup allergy safe chocolate chips

• 1 Tbsp coconut cream concentrate/coconut manna

• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

• 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil

• 2 Tbsp thick coconut milk

• pinch sea salt

Melt your chips and coconut cream in a double boiler. Add your vanilla bean and maple syrup. Stir well. Pour into a blender or mixer. Add your sunflower seed butter, grapeseed oil, coconut milk, and sea salt. Whiz quickly to incorporate. Don't over blend or you will get sludge. Spoon into a jelly jar and store at room temperature. Will thicken slightly as the it cools.

NOTES: You can substitute vanilla flavoring or glycerite for the fresh bean, but don't use extract, or the alcohol can make your chocolate seize. I use grapeseed oil, but you can substitute any oil that is LIQUID AT ROOM TEMPERATURE and has a mild/neutral flavor.

Published March 28, 2014

This passed the husband taste test. He has been happily eating it for breakfast and kaffeeklatsch all week. My allergy boy loved it on GF tortillas. Yum! 


{Tomorrow I will share my seed free coconut chocolate spread!}

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And another reminder to check your ingredients. I like using ingredients that I know are consistently tested and are aware of allergies. If they are specifically made for those with allergies, they are less likely to make mistakes and have more strict controls and processes in place. Oils, chocolates, and seeds can be challenging to verify as produced in a nut free facility. They are often processed with other bulk items or made in factories that make nut oils or granola bars or candies with who knows what other allergens. And "may contain" notices can be confusing. Most companies are happy to tell you if they are allergy safe and many publish allergy statements, ingredients, and labels online. So read labels, check, double check, and call or write the company if you are not sure!