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My husband has a life-threatening peanut allergy, so I understand what a daunting task the parents of children with severe food sensitivities face.

To make sure that the meals at our house are safe, my first rule is to buy fresh, unprocessed food. In other words, nothing that comes in a package. We don't even eat marinated products because we don't know what the marinade contains. Labelling laws (although they are changing) do not always list all ingredients when there are only traces. And traces may be enough to harm.

Restaurants can be a predicament. We ask before we are seated if there could be a problem and occasionally are turned away.

However careful we are, though, my hubby has occasionally been caught. Who would put peanuts in a Caesar salad and not tell you?

I recently developed some recipes for the makers of EpiPen, the adrenalin-filled emergency treatment that serious allergy sufferers carry with them.

The response from the public was immediate, so I have created a couple of new recipes to share with you.

If you are allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy or seafood, you can feast on these. They taste terrific and will allow everyone to breathe more easily.

PEANUT-FREE PAD THAI

Flax seeds make a perfect substitute for peanuts because they have great crunch. If bean sprouts are a problem for your family, substitute an equal amount of thinly sliced bok choy. It adds a similar texture. Tamarind gives the best flavour, but is often hard to find. Substitute 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon ketchup. You can also add firm tofu to the stir fry just after the chicken.

what you need

8 ounces (250 grams) flat rice noodles (about ¼ -inch wide)

Sauce:

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

¼ cup lime juice

2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate

1 teaspoon sambal oelek

¼ cup chicken stock or water

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chopped shallots or red onion

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

8 ounces (250 grams) boneless chicken breasts, cut into ¼ -inch thick slices

1 large bunch green onions, cut on the bias into 2.5-centimetre lengths

3 cups bean sprouts

Garnish:

½ cup coriander sprigs

4 lime wedges

2 tablespoons flax seeds (optional)

what you do

Soak rice noodles in very hot water for about 20 minutes. They should be pliable enough to drape over your hand but still have a little texture. They will soften more in the wok. Drain noodles and rinse well with cold water. Reserve.

Combine sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind, sambal oelek and stock and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add shallots and garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and stir fry for 3 minutes or until almost cooked through. Add noodles and toss to combine. Add sauce, toss again, add green onions and half of bean sprouts. Cook for 2 minutes or until noodles are soft. Add a little extra water if noodles are not soft enough.

Sprinkle with remaining bean sprouts, coriander and garnish with lime wedges. Sprinkle with flax seeds and serve immediately. Serves 4.

STIR-FRIED GROUND CHICKEN WITH SPINACH

This quick recipe, which

everyone in my family loves, shows how easy it is to use fresh ingredients to make an excellent dish. You could add curry powder, Thai red curry paste, pesto or other seasonings for a flavour change.

what you need

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

2½ cups diced sweet potato

1½ pounds (750 grams) ground chicken (or turkey)

1 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 tablespoon fresh

½ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon soy sauce

4 cups baby spinach

Salt and freshly ground pepper

what you do

Heat oil in a skillet or wide pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes and sauté for 3 minutes longer or until they begin to soften. Stir in ground chicken and tarragon. Continue to sauté, stirring to break up ground meat, until it loses its pinkness, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add stock, mustard and soy sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes and chicken are cooked through. Uncover, add spinach and cook another 1 minute or until spinach is wilted. If sauce is too thin, reduce it for another 1 or 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 4.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

Every parent wants their allergic child to have birthday cake that is moist and delicious. And dairy-free cakes so often taste like cardboard. Here is one that will have the kids and adults asking for more. Use the best bittersweet chocolate you can find and read the ingredient list carefully to make sure it doesn't contain any milk solids.

what you need

¾cup water

4 ounces (125 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

½ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons balsamic

vinegar

Glaze:

4 ounces (125 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon corn syrup

what you do

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line the base of a 9-inch round spring-form pan with parchment paper.

Place water and chocolate in a heavy pot over medium-low heat and stir until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is well combined. Stir in oil and vanilla and set aside.

Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl and stir with a fork until uniform. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Pour vinegar on top of batter and use a fork to incorporate it into the batter as quickly as possible. There will be pale swirls in the batter from the baking soda and vinegar reacting. Stir just until vinegar is evenly distributed. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs on it.

Let cake cool in pan. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Remove sides of pan, carefully invert cake onto a plate, remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment paper. Use another plate to turn cake right side up.

Place cake on serving plate and make glaze.

Place chocolate, water and corn syrup in a small heavy pot over medium-low heat and stir until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is shiny. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or until it has thickened slightly, and then spoon glaze evenly over top of cake. Serves 8 to 10.