Life with food allergies and restrictions can be a challenge. I get this as well as just about anyone — I've developed recipes and published more than a dozen cookbooks for people with dietary restrictions, and I have celiac disease (I can't eat gluten) and am allergic to dairy. Over the years, many people have told me what a challenge it is to make food taste good without [insert food they're allergic to here].
I'm a big believer that everyone — regardless of their dietary restrictions — deserves to have food that tastes good, no matter what they can't eat. And trust me, I've written cookbooks for people on some of the most restrictive diets, and I often hear back about how good their food tastes. And my dairy-free, gluten-free food? While I, too, used to believe that it would be near impossible to cook anything without gluten and dairy that didn't taste like cardboard, I've found a handful of ingredients that make it amazing. These are my top 11 "secret" ingredients to help foods that make a variety of restrictive diets taste great.
Dried Porcini Mushrooms
Dried porcini mushrooms add an earthy, umami flavor to foods. And what's great is that if you aren't a mushroom fan because of texture, you don't need to actually leave the mushrooms in the dish (although you can if you love 'em). Instead, you can soak them for an hour or two in a hot liquid you'll be using in your recipe (they're great in soups, stews, gravy, and sauces). The hot liquid will extract all that yummy flavor, and you can either discard the mushrooms or chop them up after they've been reconstituted and add them to your dish.
Alternatively, you can mix a porcini mushroom powder with your hot liquid. Can't find dried porcinis? You can substitute any dried mushroom, I just think the porcini mushrooms have the best flavor.
Safe for: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory, Whole30, paleo, low-carb/keto, low-calorie, low-fat, sugar-free, fructose-free, DASH, acid reflux, nut-free, soy-free, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free
If you're on a low-FODMAP diet for IBS, dried porcinis may be too high in FODMAPs, but dried shiitake mushrooms are low in FODMAPs, so you can substitute those.
Sriracha
I love heat so much. When it's properly balanced with other ingredients, it brings a lot of sizzle to food. I like to add it as a finishing ingredient (just before I stop cooking) to soups, stews, stir-fries, sauces, and salad dressings. My current favorite is Yellow Bird Blue Agave Sriracha, which has a little bit of sweet and a little bit of heat, but I'm also a fan of the classic.
You don't need much, but even adding a teaspoon of sriracha can dial up the heat for a complete dish. Or mix some with mayo and spread it on your favorite sammie.
Safe for: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, low-calorie, low-fat, low-purine, DASH, nut-free, soy-free (check label), egg-free, shellfish-free
Sriracha can work on low-carb and keto diets in moderation, but it typically does contain some type of processed or natural sweetener like sugar, honey, agave syrup, or high-fructose corn syrup.
Fresh Peppercorns
Sure, you can go buy pre-ground pepper, but it's relatively flavorless. But if you have a good pepper grinder and some peppercorns, fresh grinding is the way to go. Freshly ground pepper is super flavorful, and a little goes a long way. I use it in most of my savory cooking, and I especially love it in vinaigrettes.
Safe for: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, paleo, low-carb/keto, low-fat, low-calorie, sugar-free, fructose-free, DASH, low-FODMAP, nut-free, low-purine, soy-free, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free
Dry Sherry
I like cooking with wine because it adds a ton of flavor to all kinds of food. And dry sherry is my favorite wine to cook with. It's not as "wine-y" tasting as other wines, and it doesn't add sweetness or any alcoholic flavor — it just increases the depth and complexity of flavors in a dish. I use it in soups, stews, sauces, braises, and gravy — usually in place of white wine.
Safe for: vegetarian (but maybe not vegan — look into their winemaking process to be sure), gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb/keto, low-fat, low-calorie, sugar-free, DASH, nut-free, soy-free, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free
Pro tip: Do not use cooking sherry. That has salt added to it, and it doesn't do much of anything for food. Use an actual dry sherry you buy in the wine section.
Spicy Chili Crisp
Spicy chili crisp is a condiment that adds heat, a little bit of crunch, and tons of flavor to stir-fries and sauces. I'm obsessed with how delicious it makes foods, and a little goes a long way.
Safe for: gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb/keto, low-calorie, DASH, low-purine, egg-free
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is my go-to vinegar in vinaigrettes because it adds so much flavor. I use it in other soups and sauces that call for vinegar, too. I like how bright it is but with interesting, fruity notes.
Safe for: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory, Whole30, paleo, low-carb/keto, low-calorie, low-fat, sugar-free, DASH, nut-free, soy-free, low-FODMAP, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free
Fish Sauce
My family might be surprised to find fish sauce on my list because I. Hate. Fish. But fish sauce isn't fishy. Rather, it adds tons of rich umami flavors to all sorts of foods (and not just Asian-inspired dishes). For example, I like to add about a half teaspoon to ground beef along with some chopped garlic and a teaspoon of honey before I form hamburger patties. It makes the hamburgers so tasty!
If you want to add some flavor complexity to savory foods, a dash of fish sauce is often exactly what you need.
My favorite is Red Boat fish sauce, which contains only anchovies and salt, so it fits into a ton of special dietary needs (except fish allergies and low-sodium diets).
Safe for: gluten-free, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory, Whole30, paleo, low-carb/keto, low-calorie, low-fat, sugar-free, DASH, nut-free, soy-free, low-FODMAP, acid reflux
Homemade Bone Broth
I try to always have some homemade bone broth in my freezer, although I'll use Kettle & Fire's bone broth in a pinch. But there's just something so much better about homemade — it's loaded with flavor.
It's super easy to make. You'll need bones (chicken or beef usually — can be cooked or raw), a roughly chopped onion, a few cloves of garlic, a roughly chopped carrot, and a roughly chopped celery stalk. I typically save my veggie trimmings from fresh herbs, mushroom stems, onion peels, garlic peels, carrot peels, and celery trimmings in a zipper bag in the freezer and then dump them in my large slow cooker with some bones. Cover it with water, add a few peppercorns and a few herbs or spices you want to flavor it with (for instance, I use star anise and ginger if I'm making ph'o broth). Cover and simmer on low for 24 hours. Strain and either use or freeze. Easy peasy.
Safe for: gluten-free, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory, Whole30, paleo, low-carb/keto, low-calorie, low-fat, sugar-free, fructose-free, DASH, acid reflux, nut-free, soy-free, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free
Lemons, Limes, & Oranges
Citrus juice adds brightness to savory and sweet dishes, and a little finely grated citrus zest adds a big pop of juicy flavor. So I always have citrus fruits in my fridge ready to use in all the different ways, from grating some of the zest in pancake batter to squeezing a little juice over seafood.
Safe for: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory, Whole30, paleo, low-fat, DASH, nut-free, soy-free, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free
Nutritional Yeast
I love cheese, but sadly cheese does not love me. So I was thrilled to discover that I can get lots of cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast flakes. I know — it may not sound that awesome, but it really is! Whether you sprinkle it as a finishing ingredient over pasta (like you would parmesan cheese), or you mix some with a non-dairy sour cream for Taco Tuesday, it adds tons of cheesy flavor to all sorts of foods.
Safe for: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, DASH, nut-free, soy-free, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free, acid reflux, low-FODMAP
Food Restrictions Don't Mean You Have to Sacrifice Flavor
I've been developing recipes for others and cooking for myself while working around food restrictions for 20+ years. And I definitely know that food can taste good, even when you can't have things you once loved.
These 10 ingredients can add a ton of flavor to the foods you make. They're like magic flavor enhancers that'll make your meals taste great — no matter what you have to leave out of the recipe.
