Archives for February 2010

Fried Calamari with Pico and Avocado Dressing Plus Pina Coladas

February 28, 2010 · Filed Under GAHIGF, appetizer, beverage, bread, dairy free, easy, entree, gluten free, recipe, salad, seafood, vegetarian ·22 Comments

When Bean over at Without Adornment announced her theme for this month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! carnival, I was completely on board. Tropical Vacation meal … oh, yeah. We had plenty of snow at the time and our Key West vacation seemed long ago. One of our favorite appetizers that often turns into a meal is Fried Calamari. We’ve eaten calamari all over in our travels from our favorite waterside restaurant “down the road”—Dockside—to much more exotic, tropical spots. Going gluten free meant giving that pleasure up. Oh, sure, I’ve heard of some restaurants that serve gluten-free calamari, but we just haven’t had the good fortune to find and visit one. So making calamari has been in the back of my mind for some time.

My goal has been to make calamari as good as what is served as that favorite local restaurant. And, it’s not just calamari. It’s delicious calamari served on a bed of shredded lettuce topped with a sweet pico de gallo and a special dressing. Here’s a photo of Dockside’s calamari.

I’ve mentioned that our grocery store is pretty basic. While I was happily surprised to find squid in the freezer case recently, I was less pleased to find out that it was a package of whole squid. Opening the package, the squid didn’t look too intimidating, but once I thawed them out, many soulful eyes stared back at me. Maybe I was having flashbacks to images of the giant squid in The Beast, starring William Petersen (before his rise to fame as Gil Grissom on C.S.I.). (Mr. GFE and Son had watched and recorded that movie and we’d watched it more than once.) In the end, I just couldn’t deal with those squid. They plain ”weirded” me out. However, I still wanted to make calamari.

So we made a trip into town to the upscale Wegmans and headed to their seafood counter. And, there they were … beautiful, headless squid bodies and tentacles. Not an eye in sight—thank goodness. The folks at the seafood counter were happy to slice the squid into rings for me while we chatted. The staff member who assisted me shared that her mom had been recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance. She added that she was also trying to eat gluten free, but she expressed frustration over the high cost of gluten free products. Of course, I shared my gfe approach. Seems like I was meant to go to that seafood counter.

Once home, it was easy to prepare the squid. I used the breading mix that I used recently for the chicken tenders and fried oysters. Sometimes if you find something that works with one application, it makes sense to try it with others. There is no need to reinvent the wheel all the time. I breaded the squid exactly the same way I had done the chicken tenders … with no egg wash. The result was very lightly breaded, melt-in-your-mouth calamari. I served them over romaine leaves cut into smaller pieces topped with pico de gallo (pico is easy to make; here’s one recipe I use) and a thick, creamy, and slightly tangy avocado dressing. It’s a great dish. But, truthfully, it’s different than our favorite calamari from Dockside. Not bad different—this calamari dish is really very good—but it is different. I will make the remaining calamari in two batches. For one I’ll use this breading, but also do the egg wash like I did for the fried oysters. I’ll also do a batch to test some gluten-free breading that I purchased a while ago. I’ll keep you updated on both.

Fried Calamari
(Click here for a printable version of this and the following recipes.)

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup gluten-free flour*
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
cooking oil (I used a mixture of grapeseed and olive oil)
2 lbs fresh, raw squid—rings and tentacles

Mix cornmeal, gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl (or paper/ziploc bag for shaking).

Dredge squid through cornmeal breading (or shake in bag). Fry in hot oil (about an inch deep on medium-high, about 375 degrees if using an electric skillet). The calamari will only take a minute or two, at most. Flip pieces when brown on one side. Remove once browned on both sides. To prevent tough calamari, do not overcook.

*I can’t tolerate many of the healthier, gluten-free flours; e.g., sorghum, buckwheat. Therefore, my gluten-free flour mix is 3 parts Asian white rice flour and 2 parts cornstarch. I gently mix three one-lb bags of the Asian white rice flour and two one-lb boxes of cornstarch in a very large bowl and then store the mix in several airtight containers (like large glass jars). It’s a very economical mix that works well in most recipes. No refrigeration is needed. If you’re interested in a complete tutorial on gluten-free flours, please read Amy’s (Simpy Sugar & Gluten-Free) post here. As always, if you are not gluten free, you can substitute all-purpose (wheat) flour instead of gluten-free flour.

Thick and Creamy Avocado Dressing

one half of an avocado, mashed
2 – 3 tbsp of Greek yogurt (to taste)
one garlic clove (I used ½ tsp minced garlic)
2 – 3 tbsp olive oil (to taste and/or consistency)
1 tsp honey

Add all to blender and blend on high a minute or two until well blended. Dollop over salad mixture and calamari as desired.

Shirley’s Notes: This dressing has more of the thickness of mayonnaise or a spread versus a true dressing. If you want a true dressing consistency, you’ll want to add more liquid: olive oil, milk, lemon juice, water, etc.—your preference.

As Bean shared on her Tropical Pork Pineapple Kabobs post, a tropical vacation meal requires a tropical drink. My faves are margaritas and pina coladas. This time I went with a pina colada. This one is gluten free and dairy free, and uses no processed mixes either. I basically took the idea of a Southern Living recipe that I’d enjoyed years ago and just revised it to use whole food ingredients, including coconut milk. Easy and luscious!

Luscious Pina Coladas

1 cup coconut milk
1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup rum
4 tbsp sugar (or other sweetener)
1 banana
1/4 cup shredded coconut
8 or more ice cubes
additional shredded coconut, if desired

Blend coconut milk, pineapple juice, rum, sugar, banana, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, and ice cubes to desired consistency. Top with additional shredded coconut, if desired.

Inspired by Southern Living

Shirley’s Notes: I like to use a frozen banana (I always have frozen baking bananas on hand), which provides a nice, thick consistency—the luscious factor in this pina colada.

If you want to stay in the tropical vacation mindset a little longer, be sure to check back at Without Adornment for the complete roundup of recipes. Thinking sunshine, turquoise blue water, warm breezes, bare legs, and wonderful tropical fare … so nice. Special thanks to Bean for hosting this month as well as ongoing thanks to Naomi (Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried) for originating the always fun and helpful Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! carnival.

By the way, be sure to visit my Out and About page to find out who won the recent giveaway. And, we’re now into the final week before the Academy Awards presentation, more fondly known as the Oscars. Be sure to check out the complete roundup–either recipes inspired by Oscar nominees or others just right for throwing your own viewing celebration. They are definitely all award-winning caliber! My own contributions were Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup and the already mentioned Southern Fried Oysters. You can the listing of all the Gluten-Free Progressive Dinner Party recipes at our gracious hostess, Diane’s, blog events page at The. W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

Enjoy!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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Tags: bananas, beverage, bread, calamari, coconut, dairy free, easy, GFE, gluten free, recipe, seafood

Southern Fried Oysters—GFPDP for Oscars

February 24, 2010 · Filed Under Progressive Dinner, appetizer, bread, dairy free, easy, entree, gluten free, recipe, vegetarian ·31 Comments

This post is linked to Gluten-Free Progressive Oscar Dinner Party.

There are only two occasions that I will cook fried oysters for Mr. GFE—Valentine’s Day and his birthday. Because those two occasions are a week apart, I “meet in the middle” (or thereabouts) and only actually have to cook them once a year. Ha ha. I love that. Can you tell that I’m not a fan of oysters? And, to be clear, I don’t have to fry up any oysters at all for him, but I do … as an act of love, pure love.

Fried oysters are often a winter favorite of “good ole country boys” (and “girls,” but my unscientific research shows that there are far fewer girls who go for oysters … at least around here). I suspect “Bad” Blake, the character played by Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart (and who might be called Southern fried himself), has eaten his share of Southern fried oysters. Heck, I’m sure he’s also eaten them raw and roasted, too—either with a cold beer or chased by a shot of whiskey. Bad Blake seems like the kind of fellow who might even have made some light-hearted comments about oysters’ aphrodisiac effects at the time. Just sayin’. If you are not up on the Oscar details, Crazy Heart is up for Best Picture and Bridges is nominated for Best Actor. (Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays Bad Blake’s love interest, is nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the movie also has a nomination for Original Song.) I have not seen this movie yet, but hope to see it before the Oscars.

In all likelihood, this recipe will probably be the only gfe recipe that I will share, but never actually taste myself. That’s okay though. “Bad” Mr. GFE has declared these the best oysters ever. He says they are light and delicious. (He has long complained about fried oysters that are heavily battered and then fried in equally heavy oil.) Anyway, you can trust his opinion. He hasn’t steered you wrong yet, has he? Incidentally, he’s a little upset that no gfe readers have given the cinnamon-sugar-crusted almond popovers a try yet. He asks me daily (no kidding) if anyone has made them. He wants me to remind you that those popovers were his recipe-of-the-month pick, after all. He says these oysters are a very close second. Hmmm, maybe I should make them one more time in March, so they could be his recipe of the month then.

Now to the critical, but easy details … remember the cornmeal breading recipe that I used for my chicken tenders recently? Well, for fried oysters, you use the same recipe, except this time you do an egg/milk wash thing first. That wasn’t necessary for the chicken tenders, but for oysters, the egg/milk wash enhances the texture and flavor while helping the breading adhere properly.

Southern Fried Oysters—Gluten Free, Dairy Free (if you wish)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup gluten-free flour*
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1 pint raw, shucked oysters
cooking oil (your preference; I used grapeseed oil, about 1/2 inch or so deep in pan)

Mix cornmeal, gluten-free flour mix, baking powder, and salt. Leave mix in bowl for the oyster dredging method or pour into a paper/Ziploc bag if you prefer a shake method for breading.

Beat eggs and mix with milk in small bowl.

Dip oysters, one at a time, in egg/milk mixture.

Dredge oysters (again, one at a time) through cornmeal mix until thoroughly coated. (Or, add one at a time to bag and shake until adequately coated.)

Place breaded oysters on a plate until you are ready to fry them.

Fry oysters in skillet in oil at medium-high temperature (about 375 degrees if you are using an electric skillet). Cook until golden brown on each side. At this high temperature, you won’t have to fry very long. Drain on paper towels. Enjoy!

*I can’t tolerate many of the healthier, gluten-free flours; e.g., sorghum, buckwheat. Therefore, my gluten-free flour mix is 3 parts Asian white rice flour (which is very finely ground) and 2 parts cornstarch. I gently mix three one-lb bags of the Asian white rice flour and two one-lb boxes of cornstarch in a very large bowl and then store the mix in several airtight containers. It’s a very economical mix that works well in most recipes. No refrigeration is needed.

Adapted from Southern Living

Shirley’s Notes: If you are frying a lot of oysters at once, you will need more oil, of course … maybe adding enough to be an inch or more deep in the skillet. As you can see, I just made my “cheat” cole slaw (cole slaw veggies mixed with poppyseed dressing) to go along with Mr. GFE’s oysters. He was quite pleased with that combination.

By the way, don’t feel too badly for Mr. GFE and his lack of oysters. This is one of those recipes that he can eat at others’ homes or when we eat out. No, those oysters aren’t all as good as mine, but he still enjoys them occasionally. We do have a local restaurant we frequent, TruLuv’s, that does fried oysters really well. (They even have a special on Thursday evenings, 5 oysters for $5. Mr. GFE says their oysters are excellent and that the price is quite a bargain.) If you or your loved ones enjoy fried oysters, pick up a pint or a quart and fry some up. Note that a pint can go a long way unless you are cooking for a crowd. Of course, if end up buying a larger container than you need, you could use some of them to make another meal of oyster stew if you like. That’s another recipe that’s almost always naturally gluten free … just steer clear of the traditional oyster crackers.

Don’t forget to check out all the other GFPDP posts and recipes. I hope we’re getting you ready for the Oscars properly! Here’s the parade of stars below … GFPDP stars, that is!

Monday~Moi—Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup in a nod to Julie and Julia

Tuesday~Sea of Book of Yum with Avatar-inspired appetizers—Millet Polenta Croquettes and two types of fried chips (Plantain and Lotus Root)

Wednesday~Karen at Cook4Seasons who is making some Kale Chips for her viewing party, Diane of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang inspired by Julie and Julia—Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Whipped Cream, and me with these Southern Fried Oysters

Thursday~Alison at Sure Foods Living with Simple Salmon Spread for Oscar party fare

Friday~Ellen at I Am Gluten Free with a celebratory appetizer, Roasted Potatoes with Smoky Aioli Dip

Remember that submissions to Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! for your favorite Tropical Vacation Meal are due Saturday, February 27, to Bean at Without Adornment. Read more here.

Last, be sure to check out the Out and About page for an update to the Maple-Nut Sundae post… a giveaway has been added!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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Tags: bread, easy, GFE, gluten free, oysters, progressive dinner party, recipe

Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup–Gluten-Free Progressive Oscar Dinner Party

February 22, 2010 · Filed Under Progressive Dinner, dairy free, easy, entree, gluten free, pumpkin, recipe, soup ·50 Comments

This post is linked to Gluten Free Progressive Dinner Party, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays At The Table, and What can I eat that’s gluten free?

I have the honor of kicking off our Gluten Free Progressive Oscar Dinner Party. We’re all selecting meals related to Oscar-nominated movies. When it comes to the movies in the nominations this year, the one that speaks food the most is, of course, Julie and Julia. The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) describes Julie and Julia: “Julia Child’s story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book.” I enjoyed this movie, largely because of my love of Julia Child and Meryl Streep’s charming portrayal of Julia. Make no mistake about it … it’s Meryl who brings Julia and, therefore, this movie to life. In my opinion, Streep’s Best Actress nomination is well deserved.

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child shared her pumpkin soup recipe. Hers was served in a pumpkin and included crème fraiche. While crème fraiche is very French and very delicious, if I’m the one making it, I want a simpler pumpkin soup. (And, sadly—or perhaps gladly—there are no pumpkins available to use as serving dishes this time of year.) My friend, Veronica, had mentioned her pumpkin soup recipe back in the fall. I finally asked her for the recipe and she immediately emailed it to me. Even better, she graciously gave me permission to share it with you, my gfe readers.

Veronica told me that her inspiration was a pumpkin soup made by her Belgian cousin. Veronica created a quick and easy, mild-flavored, but hearty version, which works as a meal. However, she used evaporated skim milk versus traditional cream, half and half, or crème fraiche as was used in Julia Child’s recipe. (You can read more of Veronica’s notes below the recipe.)

This soup can be made with either canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin puree. I had some puree in the freezer and the other ingredients on hand. This soup came together so quickly and I fell in love with its velvety texture and savory, yet slightly sweet flavor. Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup … it’s now one of those dishes that make me think comfort, warmth, and simple goodness. I think Julia would approve and I hope you do, too.

Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons butter
1 large can (29 ounces) of pumpkin (or equal amount of fresh pumpkin puree)
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 12-oz can evaporated skim milk, regular evaporated milk, whole, or 2-percent milk

In a soup pot, sauté the onion in the butter until tender. Add the pumpkin, broth, ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Simmer for about 20 minutes to blend flavors, then add the milk, heat through, and serve.

Veronica’s Notes: Because I normally use boxed broth, I don’t add any salt. If you’re using homemade broth, you may want to add salt to taste. Canned pumpkin may be denser and heavier than most home-prepared pumpkin, so you may want to adjust the amount of your liquids. If your pumpkin isn’t pureed, you’ll need to mash or puree it before adding it to the soup. This makes a thick soup with some texture as I serve it as an entree, not an appetizer. Those who want a lighter, smoother version may want to send it through the food processor and add a bit more milk at the end.

Shirley’s Notes: Because I’m usually the only one eating this pumpkin soup, I use a 16-ounce can of pumpkin (slightly more than half the original amount in Veronica’s recipe) or 2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree. I also halve all the other ingredients. Using fresh pumpkin will make for a soup that’s a bit lighter in color and taste and slightly thinner as well because of the water content in fresh puree. I use regular evaporated milk because that’s what I have on hand most often. For the dairy-free folks, I believe non-dairy milk should work, but haven’t personally tried the recipe using non-dairy milk. Of course, non-dairy butter (or perhaps grapeseed or coconut oil) would also need to be substituted for the butter in this recipe to make it dairy free.

If you’d like to serve a bread with this soup, either my gfe cornbread or popovers would be a great accompaniment. They both are simple and easy recipes that would complement this soup nicely.

A little bit of history on my friendship with Veronica … Veronica and her family used to live at the end of our street. However, it was only after they moved to Belgium for a few years that she and I really got to know each other and became good friends. How is that possible you ask? Well, after her family was settled in Belgium, I found out she had a blog—now called Compost Studios. Her subtitle explains the title, but she shares writing, musings, art journal entries, photographs, and handmade cards at Compost Studios. I started following her blog faithfully. We’d chat via comments on her blog and exchange emails from time to time, and soon we knew each other far better than we had when we’d only lived several doors apart. It seems crazy, but I maintain that the connections many of us make via blogs are very much like the communication of pen pals of years ago. Slow and steady, so to speak, with just the right amount of committment to get to know someone. Incidentally, Veronica’s self-named professional blog is here. (If you need a professional writer, she’s your person.) Thanks so much for this very lovely pumpkin soup recipe, Veronica!

Okay, this year the Oscars can be more than fashion do’s and don’ts and yea’s and nay’s on movies. This year it can be about the food! Please visit the rest of the Gluten Free Progressive Oscar Dinner Party folks for more award-winning ideas:

Tuesday, February 23 – Sea from Book of Yum with appetizers inspired from the movie Avatar—Millet Eggplant Croquettes and Fried Chips (Two Kinds)

Wednesday, February 24 – Karen from Cook4Seasons with Kale Chips as Oscar celebration food, Diane from The WH.O.L.E. Gang also using inspiration from Julie and Julia—Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Whipped Cream, and me again, this time with Southern Fried Oysters for Crazy Heart

Thursday, February 25- Alison from Sure Foods Living with Simple Salmon Spread for Oscar party fare

Friday, February 26- Ellen from I Am Gluten Free shares her Roasted Potato Slices with Smoky Aioli Dip as part of her celebration food

Interested in having your own Oscar party? Visit Diane’s event page to print out ballots for voting and get your Oscar party kit. I really like the looks of The Red Carpet Party Fizz cocktail myself.

FYI—I plan to be back with at least one more Oscar-inspired main dish this week … please stay tuned. Last, there’s an Xagave and cookbook giveaway over on the Out and About page. Check it out here!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!