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General Meals

Recipe: Battered Gluten-Free Chicken Fingers

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 4 Comments

Chicken fingers are often one of the things I hear people talk about missing when they start the gluten-free diet. If your child has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, it is likely that he or she is mourning the loss of his or her favorite foods. I know that Jon was really bummed at first; he was 10 when he was diagnosed. My son really missed his Pop Tarts, chicken nuggets and pasta.

We have tried many recipes for Chicken Nuggets and while the recipes we have tried are good, nothing has come close to what Aaron, my husband, made this evening. I had been taking a much needed nap and was told when I woke up that he was making chicken fingers for dinner. My first thought was “Great, I am off the hook for making dinner!” 😉 Then he told me to look in the freezer. I couldn’t figure out why. I opened the freezer and there sat a baking sheet full of battered chicken fingers (uncooked). I am not going to lie, I was a little skeptical about his method, but who am I to question? I was just happy that I only had to worry about what I was going to eat later on. He started cooking a short time later. I began to smell a wonderful aroma drifting over to the comfy couch spot where I was sitting and couldn’t help but to get up to follow it into the kitchen. At first glance I was impressed! The color of the chicken fingers was a golden brown. They reminded me of the chicken fingers that Chili’s serves and are far from being gluten-free. I bit into one and was floored! These were spot on!! They were just as good, if not better, than the Chili’s fingers. I immediately began to inquire how he had made them so that I could share the recipe here with you all.

Ingredients:

  • Better Batter Pancake Mix, 2-3 cups
  • 1-2 lbs of chicken
  • garlic, 1-2 tsps
  • paprika,1 tsp
  • oregano (just a sprinkle or two)
  • salt, 1/2 – 1 tsp
  • pepper, 1/2 tsp
  • 1 egg
  • water

***amount of dry ingredients will depend on how much chicken is used. The amounts listed in parentheses are strictly guidelines.

Directions:

  1. Soak chicken tenders in water.
  2. Mix together dry ingredients.
  3. Dredge chicken through dry mixture and set aside.
  4. After all chicken has been dredged through the dry mixture, add the egg and enough water to make the mixture the consistency of pancake batter.
  5. Coat all chicken pieces and then place on baking sheet that has been lined with wax paper.
  6. Freeze for 1 hour or so. This helps the batter adhere to the chicken.
  7. Heat enough oil in a pan so that the chicken can be completely submerged.
  8. Fry until golden brown.
  9. Drain on a paper towel. Season with salt & pepper if desired.
  10. Enjoy.

The kids loved these, as did I! I apologize for not having more specific ingredient amounts, but Aaron cooks by feel and 99% of the time he is spot on. He is now considering using this same approach for battered fish for the kids! I told him he should use gluten-free beer instead of water for beer-battered fish!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Spinach and Cheddar Quiche

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

When Paula Deen was making something similar to this quiche on TV recently, I was busy and not really paying much attention to the details of the recipe. I knew Paula’s crustless quiche called for one pack of frozen chopped spinach, four eggs, two cups of cheddar cheese and some amount of Parmesan cheese. That was all I caught regarding ingredients and measurements for Paula’s recipe so I made up the rest based on what I had in the fridge. I also made a gluten-free crust for the quiche using a crust recipe from Carol Fenster’s fabulous new cookbook “100 gluten-free Recipes” which I’ll be reviewing (and giving away a copy of) on this website soon. Though I’ve not made it before, I’ve heard good things about this gluten and dairy-free pie crust recipe.

Spinach and Cheddar Quiche

Ingredients:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 pk. frozen chopped spinach
  • 1 ¼ cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ skim milk
  • ¼ cup non fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 bunch of scallions
  • ¼ t. dry mustard
  • pinch of salt
  • gluten-free pie crust

Instructions:

  1. Saute finely chopped scallions in a tiny bit of regular olive oil
  2. Put onions aside and let cool.
  3. Whisk eggs in mixing bowl for several minutes.
  4. Add drained (& dried) spinach to the eggs and mix well.
  5. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
  6. Pour into quiche crust (or greased baking pan if not using crust, I like to use a spring form pan for a nice presentation)
  7. Bake in 400 degree oven on bottom rack in oven for 15 minutes.
  8. Move pan to middle rack and cover with foil (do not wrap foil tightly around pan edge) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  9. Let sit for at least five minutes before cutting to serve.

For the perfect weekend brunch, serve quiche with gluten-free bacon or sausage and fresh fruit. If you want to go all out, make some mini gluten-free muffins to accompany the meal. I like to make batches of those to keep in the freezer. To enjoy as them needed, I defrost them on the counter overnight and slowly reheat them in the toaster oven. For a variation on the quiche, you can add sauteed mushrooms (or your favorite veggies) and/or bacon to the filling. Using heavy cream instead of skim milk and yogurt offers a richer taste – as well as more fat and calories.

You can always make a crustless quiche, but that’s really egg or breakfast casserole – not quiche. Even a fly-by-the-seat-of-my pants cook like me knows that true quiche calls for a crust. Use any ready-made gluten-free crust if you don’t have the time (or desire) to make your own. The crust recipe from Carol’s Fenster’s book (that I modified to be a cornmeal crust) turned out fabulously in both taste and texture. Gluten-free Pantry pie crust mix makes a lovely quiche crust as long as you omit the sugar. I usually make my quiche crust using the plain pie crust recipe from the Pamela’s Products website, omitting the sugar.

Going out for brunch on the weekend used to be one of our favorite things to do with friends. Even with the amazing gluten-free dining options in our area, few places are knocking our socks off with their gluten-free brunch offerings. To me, brunch means French toast (or buttermilk pancakes), quiche, melt in your mouth biscuits and fresh, seasonal fruit. Of those things, only the fruit is naturally gluten-free. The other items are generally off limits to the gluten-free crowd in most areas.

At some finer hotels and high end places you can request special things like gluten-free scones or pancakes, but you are going to have to get dressed up, tip a valet parking attendant and fork over a lot of cash for the experience. Instead, we usually opt to stay in and make our own brunch. Sharing delicious gluten-free food with good friends makes for the perfect weekend meal at our house.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 5 Comments

I have been taking full advantage of all of the summer produce this year. One of my favorite vegetables to eat is spaghetti squash because it is so versatile. It can be used in place of spaghetti, completely eliminating the need to purchase gluten-free pasta to replace regular pasta. It can be used in soups in place of noodles. I love to use it in a veggie stir fry with whatever vegetables I have on hand that are just waiting to be prepared.

First, I want to quickly go over how to cook a spaghetti squash. The squash can be cooked in the oven or the microwave. I tend to use the microwave to cook it on most occasions. Simply cut the squash in half. Take care to not hurt yourself, this can be hard. I use a kitchen towel to help brace the squash and protect my hand. Scoop out the seeds. Place squash cut side down in a Pyrex dish and add 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the microwave for 10 minutes. Allow squash to cool and then remove the “spaghetti strands” using a fork. The strands or squash may be stored in the refrigerator for later use if desired.

Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry

  • 1-2 cups of cooked spaghetti squash
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper
  • Frank’s Red Hot
  • Sea salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Pam

Directions:

  1. Spray a saute pan with Pam and heat to medium.
  2. Add zucchini and pepper to pan and cook for 5-7 minutes (you do not want them to be soggy)
  3. Turn up the heat and add spaghetti squash. Continue stirring until cooked & browning.
  4. Season with Red Hot, salt & pepper and serve.

What I love about stir fry is that you can make it your own. You can choose to add whatever ingredients you want. Leftover meat & veggies work great in a stir fry. Use as a side dish or serve in a gluten-free wrap, on a salad or over rice. The possibilities are endless.

Some other add-ins that I like to use:

  • chickpeas
  • black beans
  • okra
  • mushrooms
  • broccoli
  • snap peas
  • snow peas
  • sriracha
  • carrots
  • sesame oil

Now that fall is here, another way I like to serve the spaghetti squash is with Honey Baked Lentils on top. This meal makes me feel warm & cozy. The lentils provide protein & fiber, so pair with a salad or some gluten-free toast and you have a nice meal.

Recipe: Easy Gluten-Free Shrimp Marinade

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 2 Comments

There are many more bottled gluten-free marinades at the store than there were five years ago, but you can save a lot of money by making your own. The other day I needed something to use on some shrimp we planned to grill. I checked the pantry and fridge for available ingredients and whipped up something that was tasty and super easy to make.

Though we’ve only tried this marinade on shrimp so far, I think it will work with a nice mild white fish like tilapia as well as chicken. I named it garlic and wine marinade.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup white cooking wine (I use Publix brand)
  • 1 ½ t. crushed garlic (in oil)
  • 3 T. olive oil
  • 2 t. lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Combine all ingredients in large Ziplock type bag.
  • Place shrimp in bag and massage shrimp so everything is coated.
  • Refrigerate bag of shrimp for 1-2 hours.
  • To grill the shrimp, put them on skewers and cook for approximately three minutes on each side.
  • To sauté the shrimp, you don’t need to use oil in the pan due to the amount of oil in the marinade. Heat pan to medium high heat and cook on each side for approximately three minutes.
  • Shrimp are cooked when firm and pink.

To use the marinade for fish, I’d put the filets in a shallow baking dish, pour marinade over the fish, cover with plastic wrap and put into refrigerator. Next time I might try adding some capers to the mixture as well. I love lemon and capers and seafood together, but would only use capers for the pan cooking method.

Using simple marinades is an easy way to spruce up a mid-week meal without going to a lot of trouble or much expense. Good marinades almost always take whatever you’re using them on to a whole new level of great taste. This is true for chicken, fish, pork and shrimp. With just a little bit of effort and a few ingredients you already have on hand, you can create some pretty fabulous gluten-free marinades.

If you’re not in the mood to create your own marinade, check out some of these recipes on Food.com. Just remember to use all gluten-free ingredients, as always. If beer is called for in a recipe, use Bard’s Tale or Redbridge as a substitute. Gluten-free soy and Teriyaki sauces can be used instead of the types that contain gluten. Most marinades don’t call for flour, but if you run across one that does, use a gluten-free flour blend, plain rice flour or tapioca starch instead. We’ve got almost two months of good grilling weather left in our area. I’m looking forward to making some more tasty marinades before it’s time to do all the cooking inside for a while.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Chicken Tostadas

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

Since we are on the go a lot now that school is back in session and the kids have activities 4 nights a week, fast dinners are the way I survive without fast food. Not only is fast food mostly unhealthy, but eating gluten-free at a fast food restaurant can be challenging. One of my staple menu items is Mexican Pizzas. I try to come up with new, creative recipes for them so that I am not serving the same thing week after week. My kids probably wouldn’t care, as they love them, but I like some variety.

Sometimes I call these “Mexican Pizzas”, sometimes I call them “Tostadas”. I decided that now was a good time for me to find out what the difference is in the name, if any. Turns out that “Tostada” is a Spanish word that means “toasted”. In Mexico it refers to a flat or bowl-shaped tortilla! Aha! The tostada originated when tortillas became stale and were no longer fresh enough to roll into tacos, but still okay to eat. LOL! I can assure you that is not why I “toast” my tortillas. 😉 When I was growing up my mom used to call Mexican Pizzas “Chalupas”. I looked up “Chalupa” and found that it is a tostada platter in Mexican cuisine! My mom must have know what she was doing, huh? I believe that I started calling them “Mexican Pizzas” when my kids turned up their noses at the food in front of them that was called a “Chalupa”.

Chicken Tostadas

  • 1 lb chicken breast, cut into chunks
  • Old El Paso Taco Seasoning – Original is gluten-free*
  • Corn tortillas
  • Refried beans (Taco Bell, Ortega, Old El Paso are all gluten-free)
  • Red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • Tomato, chopped
  • Sliced black olives
  • Shredded cheddar cheese

Other toppings to consider: sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded lettuce, salsa, jalapenos

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350.
  2. Cook chicken breast chunks in a frying pan until cooked through. Once cooked, add seasoning packet & water, as directed on the package. You could also use your own blend of Mexican spices, such as cumin and cayenne, some garlic and a little salt & pepper.
  3. Lay corn tortillas out on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Spray corn tortillas with spray. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, keeping a careful eye not to over cook.
  4. While tortillas are baking, heat refried beans on the stove or in the microwave.
  5. Spread warm beans, chicken, peppers and olives on the baked tortilla. Top with shredded cheddar & bake until melted.
  6. Top with tomatoes, shredded lettuce & hot sauce, if desired.

*I use only 1/2 of the packet of taco seasoning to cut down on sodium and it is plenty for good flavor

The kids often make their own tostadas or Mexican pizzas so they can choose toppings. This gives them a sense of ownership and makes it much more likely that they will eat the meal. 😉