Dairy Free Mac and Cheese….& a signed cookbook giveaway!

Before my newest book, The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals came out in February, I used to get emails all the time about how to make a dairy free, classic kid favorite, Mac and Cheese. I know the blue-boxed version is an orange, chemical disaster, but as a kid of the 1970′s and 80′s…I grew up loving the stuff and thinking it was a real “dinner”.

Truth be told, I still love Mac and Cheese, but not that boxed kind. Homemade is the only way to go, whether you have food allergies or not. My version is completely dairy free, fast, easy and tastes like the real thing. Pinky swear.

Hope you like it as much as we do around here. One more thing, It’s Food Allergy Awareness Week. Take a moment and email your school; principal, nurses, teachers and administrators to educate them about the importance of using Section 504 Plans in schools to protect our FA children in their classrooms. Emphasize that food allergies can and do KILL. It’s called Anaphylaxis, not an intolerance. Tell them food allergies are not a choice, but a real disability and that our children’s rights should and will be protected under the American with Disabilities Act. Educate every chance you can. We are all in this together, and it’s so important we speak out on behalf of our food allergic children across the nation.

In honor of FA Awareness week, I’d love to give away a signed copy of my new book! Comment below about how you made a difference in food allergy awareness this week and I will choose a winner at random this Friday! Good luck! And love you all! xo

CLASSIC MAC N CHEESE

Serves 4

The stove top portion of this dish only takes 20 minutes start to finish–almost exactly the same amount of time it takes to make that other boxed, powdery, fake cheese brand.

½ pound elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions, drained

1 ½ cup soy or rice milk, slightly warmed on stove top

4 tablespoons dairy free margarine

¼ cup unbleached all-purpose or gluten-free flour blend

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup dairy free cheddar cheese, shredded (I use Follow Your Heart, this doesn’t have pea protein. If you are fine with pea or legume protein, you can also use Daiya)

In a medium saucepan, melt dairy free margarine over moderately low heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Add 1 c. of the warmed soy milk and whisk constantly for 3 minutes until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of the spoon. Add the dairy free cheese and stir with a wooden spoon for about five minutes. Then add the remaining ½ cup warmed milk, salt, pepper and dry mustard and pasta. Stir until the dairy free cheese is nearly melted, about five minutes . Once the cheese sauce is smooth and melted, add the drained, cooked macaroni. Stir and serve.

Serve immediately.

Allergy Friendly Pesto Pasta with Green Beans and Potatoes

Allergy- friendly Pesto Pasta with Green Beans and Potatoes is the epitome of springtime’s finest produce. The success of the dish relies on the quality of the ingredients so choose only the freshest, most vibrant ones you can find. Peruse your farmers’ markets or organic produce section at the store for bright green basil and green beans, along with gorgeous red or yellow waxy potatoes. The only specialty ingredient you must have on hand is Vegan/Dairy Free Parmesan Cheese Alternative (I use Galaxy Nutritional Foods brand, available at Whole Foods).

I first fell in love with this dish when I was newly married. I ordered it one night out to dinner with my husband, and couldn’t believe the delicious combination of fresh pesto with crisp green beans and just barely cooked potatoes. Over the years I routinely made it at home as it became one of my husband’s favorite meals as well.

Pesto is a food allergy nightmare as it’s routinely made with pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and sometimes extra pats of butter. My version has none of that yet it tastes nearly identical to the real thing. It’s easy to whip up in a blender or food processor and freezes well for a quick weeknight dinner or weekend lunch.

I’d also love to thank Babble for naming Food Allergy Mama a Top 100 Food Blog for 2013. I’m honored to be included in this amazing list of food bloggers for the third year in a row.

Hope everyone is having a great spring! Happy Cooking!

PESTO PASTA WITH GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES

Serves 4

Be sure to reserve a little of the pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce when adding to the pasta.

For Pesto:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and packed

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, chopped

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons dairy free margarine, softened to room temperature

1/3 cup dairy free Vegan Parmesan cheese

In a processor or blender, puree the fresh basil, olive oil, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in softened dairy free margarine and Vegan Parmesan Cheese.

For the Pasta with Green Beans:

1 lb. allergen friendly or gluten free spaghetti or penne pasta

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and washed

5 small, new potatoes, peeled and cut in half

Vegan Parmesan cheese for topping, if desired

Cook the pasta according to manufactures’ directions.

Meanwhile prepare a medium saucepan by filling halfway with water, put a cover on it and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook just until it can be pierced with a fork, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Add the green beans to the boiling water, and cook five minutes. Remove the beans with a slotted spoon and add to the bowl with the potatoes.

Drain the cooked pasta, but reserve about a ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Add just enough of the pasta cooking water to the pesto to make it a little creamier, then add the pesto mixture to the pasta. Add the green beans and potatoes and stir the entire mixture gently until combined. Serve with additional grated Vegan Parmesan cheese if desired.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Hi Everyone!!!

Thank you so much for the awesome response to my new cookbook giveaway! Two winners were selected at random and have already been notified. I LOVED reading every single comment, question, etc. You guys are amazing. Truly my rock and I feel so lucky to have so many of you read my blog. Your stories are inspiring, your passion for cooking is contagious and honestly…it’s just so great to know there are so many of us out there cooking and baking and having fun!

I love your comments and reviews…and would LOVE LOVE it, if you could head over to Amazon to post a review for The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy Fast Family Meals. If my recipes work for you, and you love them, spread the word to other food allergy mama’s by sharing your thoughts! Big thanks…I truly appreciate it!!

Here’s a decadent Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake for Valentine’s Day that is also in the new book (and if you’re a longtime fan, a previous post a couple of years ago). Babble named it one of its favorite romantic dishes to share with you significant other.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! xoxo

My Go-To Busy Night Dinner…Turkey Sloppy Joes (John’s FAVE!)

Happy winter to you all! First of all, HUGE thanks to everyone who submitted a comment to my previous post. Your responses were overwhelming; beautiful, inspiring, funny and touching. I love you guys, my amazing readers, for all your continued support over the years toward this blog. As promised, a winner was picked randomly and will be sent Cybele Pascal’s new book! Stay tuned for another giveaway, this time for MY book..which will be out in just under two weeks…Feb. 5th! I can’t believe the time is finally here! So excited to share this latest book with you guys and hope you enjoy it as much as the baking book.

Speaking of my new book, here is one of my favorite weeknight dinner recipes from The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals that is kid friendly and easy to make; Turkey Sloppy Joes. I should have really called them Sloppy Johnnies because it’s John’s all time favorite meal, and one that he has requested as his birthday dinner for years. It’s also full of finely chopped veggies, which I love because my little guy Michael despises veggies in any form, so this is my sneaky way of getting the good stuff into him without him knowing.

Thanks so much everyone and Happy Cooking!!

TURKEY SLOPPY JOES

Serves 6

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

½ green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

½ red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 small garlic clove, finely diced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 ½ pounds ground turkey (dark meat)

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (omit if

you have a soy allergy)

6 allergen-friendly hamburger buns, light toasted in 300 degree oven for a few minutes if desired.

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat and add onion, bell peppers, celery, carrot, garlic salt and pepper until vegetables are softened and onion and is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and cooked through, about 7-9 minutes.

Add brown sugar, dry mustard, tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce to vegetable and turkey mixture. Stir well and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Serve on toasted allergen friendly buns.

FREEZER TIP: Mixture can be frozen up to two months in either a resealable plastic freezer bag or container. Reheat over medium low on stove top.

Dairy, Egg, Nut (and GF if needed!) Sugar and Spice Cookies….the BEST cookie exchange cookie…

Someone recently asked me for a good Cookie Exchange recipe. During the busy holidays, the best kind of cookie to make for an exchange is one that is fast and easy. Seriously, every year I have all these grand ideas of what I want to do for the holidays, and then this or that comes up and I hardly get to anything. Maybe that will change when my kids are a little older, but for now, I’ve decided I’m just going to roll with things a lot more, and “try” to stress a lot less.

So THIS is my answer to the question above; a very fast, very easy Sugar and Spice Cookie that is perfect not only for the holidays, but for any day of the week. It’s also a very pretty cookie, that can be dressed up in cute packaging.

Speaking of the holidays, my good friend Cybele Pascal’s new book just came out this past week. It’s a MUST HAVE for your kitchen counters, and makes a great gift item too. I’d use this book even if we DIDN’T have food allergies in our house. I love Cybele, and love this book. You will too, I promise.

Speaking of new books, this recipe, Sugar and Spice Cookies can be found in my new book The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy and Fast Family Meals. It’s dairy, egg and nut free but can easily be made gluten-free with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.

One more thing, as I am getting ready with a new and improved website, I’d love to try a new post on this site called Ask Me. In the comments below, if you have a question about baking, cooking, 504′s etc. I’d love to hear it and will answer all of them in my next post.

Happy holidays everyone and enjoy these next few weeks with your families!

SUGAR AND SPICE COOKIES

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 ½ sticks dairy free margarine

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup organic honey

2 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend

2-½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

Sugar Coating

1/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the dairy free margarine, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and honey, and mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and salt with a wire whisk. Add to the dairy free margarine mixture and mix well.

In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the cookie balls in the brown sugar mixture and place on parchment paper.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden brown on top. Cool completely on baking sheets.

French Toast Tuesdays…

French Toast….one of my all time favorite breakfasts and one that I always shared with my mom and sister every Tuesday at a diner in Chicago. I loved those French Toast Tuesdays. At the time, I was a young, struggling (POOR) college student. I lived in the city with my sister, worked full-time during the day and went to school at night in pursuit of a journalism degree. Those were long, hard days but also some of my happiest memories. My mom always said if you truly love what you do, it’s never really work. It’s a privilege to do what you love. And back then, I felt enormously lucky to be able to follow my dreams by putting myself through college. So those Tuesdays with my mom and sister were all about connecting during the busiest of times, and to replenish our tired and weary souls by venting, talking, sharing hilarious stories, and eating French Toast.

It’s been 15 long years since I’ve had French Toast with my mom, but I promise you she’s in my heart every minute of every day. I don’t think you can really ever get over the loss of your mom, and nor do I think you should. My mother is irreplaceable…and there isn’t a day that I don’t miss her terribly. So for now, I try to make French Toast once a week, not only because this is probably the most amazing egg free and dairy free (and gluten free) French Toast I’ve ever eaten, but also because somehow it feeds my soul, and connects me with my memories of her. Food is love, food is family, food is memories. It’s not just about eating and cooking. It’s so much more than that…

Enjoy this favorite recipe of mine peeps…it’s easy, fast and absolutely delish…perfect for chilly holiday mornings. This breakfast treat is in my forthcoming book, The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals, already on preorder with Amazon. xoxo

Happy Cooking!

CLASSIC FRENCH TOAST

Serves 6

6-8 Thick slices allergen friendly bread (I use Vienna Italian bread, but homemade bread that is slightly dry is best. Use any of your favorite allergen friendly breads)

2 cups soy or rice milk

¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Honey

Maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar

Heat an electric griddle or cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Spray the surface of the griddle with dairy free baking spray.

While the skillet is hot, combine the soymilk, flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla and honey in a liquid measuring cup with a wire whisk. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl and dip both sides of bread slices in mixture, coating well.

Remove bread slices from soymilk mixture, allowing the excess soy milk to drip. Place on hot griddle and cook 3-4 minutes on each side, or until browned. Serve with your favorite maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar.

I’m delinquent in my postings…..but I come with a NEW recipe!

Seriously…I don’t know why y’all stick around…I’ve been terrible with my blog posting since working on my next book, moving to California and everything else going on! Life has certainly gotten in the way. But so many new and exciting things to talk about:

1. The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals is on pre-order! Go here to place your order for my next book (due out Feb. 2013) It’s packed with snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner and treat recipes. These are easy, no fuss recipes that are my family’s favorites. They are easily adapted to be gluten-free as well. I love that all these recipes can be made with dairy or eggs too, depending on your family’s preferences or dietary needs. I LOVED working on this book and can’t wait to share it with all of you and your families.

2. Food Allergy Mama is getting a makeover! Actually not me, but my blog. It’s in the process of getting freshened up, so in the very near future you are going to see an updated, more user-friendly version. Can’t wait!

3. Finally, a NEW recipe! OK, I was just posting photos on my Facebook and realized I haven’t posted a new recipe since February?? Crazy. So sorry. This is a photo that I just looked at today…and realized how much I LOVE this new Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache (in the new book!!), and what I love even more are my FA son John’s freckles in this cake shot. Honestly…I’m so blessed to have these amazing children of mine, even more blessed that despite living with life-threatening food allergies, kids like John eat deliciously like anyone else.

4. One last thing! My first book, The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book is available on Amazon Kindle for FREE right now, as of today October 24, 2012. Order here. May not be free tomorrow or the next day, but if you’re reading this today…I highly recommend you download it as a backup to the print edition. Nothing better than FREE!!!

Love you all, thank you for your patience during this crazy time!!

Favorite Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Serves 8

I often call this cake my “after-school” cake, because it’s my children’s ultimate treat after a long day at school. It’s the perfect cake to make for gatherings, holidays, and birthdays too. I love it to make for my own birthday because it is so darn easy. The cake will keep, covered, for up to three days covered in the refrigerator; heat individual slices for a 10 seconds in the microwave to slightly soften the Ganache before serving.

3 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour

1 ¾ cups sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dairy-free margarine, melted

1 ¾ cups dairy-free buttermilk (1 3/4 c. soy or rice milk mixed with 1 1/2 T. vinegar, let stand 5 minutes)

2 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

2 cups dairy, egg, and nut–free chocolate chips

½ cup soy or rice milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350ºF and coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with dairy-free cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt using a wire whisk.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the melted margarine, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate ganache: Place the chocolate chips, soy milk, and vanilla in a small saucepan over very low heat and heat, stirring with rubber spatula, until most of the chocolate chips are melted. Remove from the heat and stir with spatula until the remaining chocolate chips are melted.

Once the cake is cooled, pour the ganache over the cake and spread it out evenly. Store the cake covered in the refrigerator.

Happy Valentine’s Day and a special new treat….

I love Valentine’s Day. It is the perfect escape from the dreariness of bitterly cold winter days. There are only two things I ask for every year, a bouquet of my favorite flower, tulips, and chocolate in any form. And I really mean any form. I don’t care if it is a decadent molten chocolate cake or a twix bar from the gas station, I LOVE CHOCOLATE. So when I developed my newest chocolate recipe, I had a moment of silence in appreciation for its incredible deliciousness. What is it you ask? A rich Banana Chocolate Cupcake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting. My kids went crazy for them and ate every single cupcake in about an hour. Even my banana-hating daughter loved them, and that’s saying a lot because she always turns her nose up at even the slightest whiff of a banana.

The recipe is featured below and I hope you enjoy it as my special treat to you and your fabulous little kiddos!! I also wanted to share some links of my favorite tips and websites. This is not an all inclusive list, and will share some more of my favorites in the weeks to come. Happy Valentine’s Day to you all…you truly make my life a lot sweeter! Muah!

FAVORITE LINKS TO VISIT:

Awesome food allergy mama Gina Clowes on her 10 Things to Know about Food Allergies in Classroom: A must-read for any parent or teacher with kids in school.

Allergy Apparel: I really dig this entire website…all the epi holders are cool, the tees are cool and I especially love the baking accessories. Check it out.

Divvies: What can I say, I adore this brand and really wish their product was stocked in every grocery store in America! I could order something from their site every day, just for ME, and eat tons of it. But I refrain.

The New Nut Free Mom; A Crash Course in Caring for Your Nut Allergic Child by Jenny Kales: This ebook is available on Amazon and I have yet to read it, but will soon because anything Jenny writes is enormously helpful, insightful and downright awesome.

Cybele Pascal; The Allergy Friendly Cook: OK, I really love Cybele and am especially loving her brand spanking new website! She also has a new book coming out this year so be on the look out! What a huge service Cybele has done for all of us food allergy mamas in her cooking expertise.

More links to come in the near future…I promise.

CHOCOLATE BANANA CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

For Cupcakes:

1 c. mashed banana

½ c. room temperature water

¼ c. dairy free “buttermilk” (1/4 c. soy or rice milk mixed with 1 tsp. white vinegar, let stand 5 minutes)

¼ c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. good quality vanilla extract

1 c. unbleached all purpose flour

¾ c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1/3 c. dairy free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life or Divvies)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 inch cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the mashed banana, water, dairy free “buttermilk”, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.

In a separate medium bowl combine the flour , sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly among the paper cups. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely.

CREAMY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 c. dairy free margarine

¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 T. soy or rice milk

½ tsp. good quality vanilla extract

2 c. confectioner’s sugar

Combine the dairy free margarine, cocoa powder, soy milk and vanilla in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the confectioner’s sugar, a little at a time, until combined. Turn mixer on medium-high and mix for 3-4 minutes or until creamy. Frost cupcakes.

Dairy, Egg and Nut Free Dinner Biscuits

Happy Holidays everyone! A Facebook friend of mine requested I post the recipe for my Dinner Biscuits, and thought of course…it is the PERFECT biscuit to serve alongside your Christmas or New Years Dinner. I always make a ham for Christmas dinner, and these biscuits are so delicious with it. It literally takes minutes to mix everything together and pop into the oven to bake just as your guests are arriving. Plan ahead and have everything pre-measured and ready to go. Mix in only as much soy or rice milk as needed. You don’t want the dough too sticky.

I especially love serving these tender biscuits for breakfast with a little dairy free margarine and honey.

DAIRY, EGG AND NUT FREE DINNER BISCUITS

Yield: 8 biscuits

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (alternatively use 1 c. whole wheat flour, 1 c. all-purpose flour)

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. or 1 c. soy or rice milk

2 T. dairy free margarine, melted for brushing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt with a wire whisk. Add the soy or rice milk slowly, stirring with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together and isn’t too sticky. Turn onto a light floured surface and knead 12-15 times, until the dough is soft and smooth.

Pat the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to make 8 rounds, rerolling as necessary.

Brush the surface of each biscuit with melted dairy-free margarine, and bake for 15-20 minutes. or until very light golden brown.

Allergy Friendly Chicken and Rice

October is practically here and it feels like fall in Chicago. Fall in the Midwest is breath-taking; the colors on the trees are gorgeous and the chill in the air always makes me want to hole up in my cozy home. The reality is, though, two of my kids play travel soccer, two other kids play park district soccer, two kids take piano lessons, one takes guitar lessons, one is trying out for travel basketball, one is in yearbook club, two others are in chess club, and baby Michael’s lack of speaking means I have to add weekly speech therapy as well. Nevermind my own schedule. But I am still adamant about making a home cooked meal for breakfast and dinner most days of the week.

In order to do that, I have to plan ahead and choose meals that aren’t fussy. I love slow roasting, slow cooking and braising for easy home-cooked deliciousness. This Chicken and Rice dish screams comfort food…but it is incredibly easy and requires very little labor time at all. I love to saute the veggies when the kids get home from school (5 minutes) and then let the oven do the rest of the work. Feel free to use whatever veggies you want in the saute mixture…butternut squash, carrots, celery and zucchini are my favorites. I also use whatever rice I have on hand, Basmati, Brown, etc. This dish also makes an excellent leftover meal the next night.

ALLERGY FRIENDLY CHICKEN AND RICE

1 3-4 lb. package chicken, cut up into legs, quarters, breast, etc.

1 T. olive oil

1 T. dairy free margarine

3 peeled carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1/2 small butternut squash, diced

1 large garlic clove. minced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 tsp. celery seed

1 3/4 c. rice (I like basmati or brown)

1 1/2 c. organic chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil and dairy free margarine until hot. Add vegetables and garlic, and season generously with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes and stir in dried thyme and celery seed. Stir in rice and lightly toast for 1-2 minutes. Turn off burner and place chicken pieces on top of rice and vegetables. Place dutch oven uncovered in oven and bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and add chicken broth. Put cover on top of chicken and bake 40-45 additional minutes or until chicken is done.