Archives for “bread”

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 ·21 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

Chicken Tenders—Cornmeal or Coconut

February 16, 2010 · Filed Under Slightly Indulgent, Tempt My Tummy, appetizer, bread, chicken, easy, entree, flourless, gluten free, recipe, sugar free ·33 Comments

This post is linked to the Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, and What can I eat that’s gluten free? weekly carnivals.

Mr. GFE and I had a nice, quiet day at home today. It was a scheduled holiday for him. Not so for me, but I made it one … and that was a great idea! We ate our respective breakfasts … cereal for him and a one egg “omelet” with spinach for me. Then for a mid-morning snack, we ate the last of a weekend batch of the Cinnamon-Sugar-Crusted Popovers. That indulgence, of course, made us not want anything for several hours. When we finally did eat again, instead of a quick, light lunch, I decided to go for something more substantial, but still healthy enough. The refrigerator yielded about a pound of chicken tenderloins (i.e., boneless, unprepared chicken tenders), a small container of coconut, and some cornmeal mix that I’d made for breading chicken earlier. Right then, I decided to make chicken tenders.

As an aside, perhaps the coconut idea appealed to me because I had recently read an article on using Girl Scout cookies as breading. I am not making this up. How does Fried Samoas Shrimp sound? The recipe included 5 Samoas, 2 cups bread crumbs, 2 cups flour, 1 cup coconut flakes, 4 egg whites, and cayenne pepper … all as breading for 4, yes, 4, extra large shrimp. Wowser. Nutritional information was not provided, but the recipe said it served 5 … so if you stuck to a serving, you didn’t even get to enjoy one full shrimp! And, of course, samoas are not gluten free, unless you make Jenn’s stunning gluten-free version. You can heck our her version over at The Cinnamon Quill. Her gluten-free Samoas are amazing, but I don’t think I’ll chopping them up and using them to make Samoa-breaded shrimp.

Back to the breading I did use … the cornmeal mix had seemed a little bland the last time I had used it with chicken. And, the coconut I had on hand was actually sweetened coconut, which I thought might be cloyingly sweet. So I added some chili powder to each.

My original idea was to bread the chicken tenders in the cornmeal mix and then dip them in the coconut, but just one attempt showed me that wouldn’t work. The coconut wouldn’t adhere to the chicken tender after it had been coated with the cornmeal mix. So I dipped half of the tenders in the cornmeal mix alone and the other half in the coconut mix alone. I just dipped the washed, and therefore, wet, chicken tenders into the cornmeal mix or shredded coconut. I didn’t need to dip them in eggs or milk beforehand as the original cornmeal mix recipe stated. Just the wetness from the water worked perfectly well (and omitting those ingredients also makes these tenders dairy free and egg free, and obviously lower in calories). Then I fried them all in some grapeseed oil, and drained them before serving. (Note: This was my first time using grapeseed oil and I liked its lightness and neutral taste very much—plus, its added health benefits.) As you can see, because I cooked the two types of tenders together, they all ended up with a little coconut “breading.” We ate them with a little honey barbecue sauce and a few chips and really enjoyed them.

Although I’m providing some ingredients and directions, these are really sort of “improvise-as-you-go” recipes, or as my friend, Erin (Gluten-Free Fitness) likes to say … Not Really A Recipe. When Erin first used that term in reference to her rendition of my Special Turkey Breast, I said something to the effect of “hey, that’s a recipe!” But, then I realized that she used that term as a category on her blog and didn’t mean anything negative at all. Instead, she was demonstrating that so many cooking sessions start out as just a concept or basic method with lots of room for improvisation. She’s totally right. Seize that idea for your cooking and you’ll be a lot happier in the kitchen and end up making some great dishes as well. And, that’s true whether you are gluten free or not.

Cornmeal Mix for Breading
(Click here for a print version of both recipes.)

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup gluten-free flour*
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ to ½ tsp chili powder, to taste

Mix all together. Pour into shallow bowl for breading. Fry on medium to medium-high about 8 – 10 minutes on each side.

Adapted from Southern Living

Coconut Breading

½ cup coconut flakes (or more if needed)
¼ to ½ tsp chili powder, to taste

Mix. Dredge wet chicken tenders in coconut breading. Fry on medium to medium-high about 8 – 10 minutes on each side.

Shirley’s Notes: The coconut I used was actually sweetened. (It was left over from making Linda’s wonderful Coconut Cashew Clove Cookies.) So I was worried that these tenders might be too sweet, but the chicken taste itself and the chili powder I added offset the sweetness by just the right amount.

From Shirley Braden

The truth is you really don’t have to buy prepared gluten-free breading mixes to end up with delicious results, and just as importantly, you don’t even need a true recipe. I’ve purchased gluten-free offerings in the past like breadcrumbs at $4.00 for 4 ounces and they’ve ended up going to the birds, literally. There are so many other breading possibilities that work beautifully and don’t break the bank. I’ve shared other options here before at gfe, including two possibilities for a similar recipe for baked chicken nuggets. One used crushed potato chips; the other used crushed cornflakes and lots of seasonings.

Ali (The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen) did this post a while back with some excellent breading options. I, and several others, contributed additional ideas in comments. Some other easy breading choices that I have used are Parmesan cheese, rice cereal (for babies), toasted and crumbled gluten-free waffles (as shown here), and instant mashed potatoes (my only, occasional use for them). I’ve heard that tortilla crumbs and corn chips make great breading, too. Along those lines, be sure to check out Diane’s (The W.H.O.L.E. Gang) Frito Fish.

So, the message with these chicken tenders is think outside the box and don’t stress. That’s the gfe way. Now, go ahead, have a gluten-free chicken tender … with cornmeal coating, coconut breading, or perhaps your favorite gfe breading. And, what is your favorite breading? Please share!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!