Archives for “side dish”

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger for August … I’m Hosting!

August 15, 2010 · Filed Under Adopt Gluten-Free Blogger, appetizer, beverage, bread, breakfast, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, recipe, salad, seafood, side dish ·68 Comments 

This month, I’m so excited to host the terrific Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event! Originated by the delightful Sea at Book Of Yum, the event has been going on for a few years now and, just as Sea intended, it’s a wonderful way to meet fellow bloggers, introduce others to new bloggers, and, of course, try new gluten-free recipes.

We all leave comments on others’ blogs in response to recipes and photos that make our mouths water. Comments like: “Oooh, yummy. I sooo want to make that!” or “I’m definitely making that soon.” But, then life intervenes and months pass and we still haven’t made that recipe that we truly wanted to make. This event gives you an excuse to take a break from your daily routine and do just that! If I hadn’t participated in Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger, I would not have made Pete and Kelli’s (No Gluten, No Problem) Pasta with Shrimp Marinara and Brownies; Kate Chan’s (Gluten Free Gobsmacked) Cheese Rolls and Pizza Crust; Melanie’s (Gluten-Free Krums) Avocado Artichoke Salsa;  or Wendy’s (Celiacs in the House) Savory and Sweet Crepes. It would have been a shame to miss out on making any one of those recipes and getting to know each of those bloggers just a little better.

To sign up for this month’s edition of Adopt A Gluten Free Blogger, leave a comment letting me know which blogger you plan to adopt. Here are the guidelines on how you can join in … nothing complicated.

1) Pick a gluten-free blogger whose recipes you admire and adopt them by commenting on this post with your name and blog name, and their name and blog name.

Notes:  The blogger’s recipes must all be gluten-free or there must be a way to sort and read ONLY gluten-free recipes. A different blogger should be selected each time you participate. And, ideally, each blogger should only be adopted once.

2) Choose one (or two!) of your gluten-free blogger’s recipes to try.

3) Make the recipe, photograph it, and write a post in your blog introducing the blogger and their recipe. Link back to this event announcement in your post.
Notes:  Follow the recipe as written, as closely as possible. And, please don’t print the blogger’s recipe on your post—just provide your reader a link to their original recipe.

4) Email me at glutenfreeeasily@gmail.com with your photo of the recipe, the URL of your post, name of the recipe, and the URL of the original blogger’s recipe post.

5) After your post is published, submit your post’s URL in a comment to this post, and if possible please try to visit two other blogger’s posts that are posted here (and comment!). The idea is to make this a truly interactive event.

Deadlines:
Sign up BEFORE August 27 (loose deadline; late sign-ups are ok).

Post your review and email me by September 3rd (firm deadline—no kiddin’). (IMPORTANT: If you sign up and cannot complete this event by September 3rd for any reason, please email me at glutenfreeeasily@gmail.com.)

**If you don’t have a blog, you are still welcome to adopt a gluten-free blogger. Sign up here to adopt a blogger, write a review of one of their recipes, including your name (or pen name), the recipe URL, and recipe title. Then take a photo of the completed recipe (if you can) and EMAIL ME the review and photo. I’ll happily post your reviews and photos as part of the roundup in September.**

If you’re stumped on who to adopt, you can take a look at my sidebar for ideas or visit Sea’s Gluten-Free Blogroll. Let’s make this a mass gluten-free adoption!

Adoption Sign-Up Sheet:

1. Iris at The Daily Dietribe (adopted by me)

2. Nancy at The Sensitive Pantry (adopted by Kim of Cook IT Allergy Free)

3. Me, here, at Gluten Free Easily (adopted by Iris of The Daily Dietribe)

4. Ricki at Diet, Dessert and Dogs (adopted by Valerie of City/Life/Eats)

5. Ali and Tom at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen (adopted by Hallie of Hallie’s Daily Bites)

6. Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (adopted by Zoe of Z’s Cup of Tea)

7. Karina of Gluten-Free Goddess (adopted by Tia of Glugle Gluten Free)

8. Zoe of Z’s Cup of Tea (adopted by Maggie of She Let Them Eat Cake).

9. Alta of Tasty Eats At Home (adopted by Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free)

10. Jenn of Jenn Cuisine (adopted by Wendy of Celiacs in the House)

11. Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker (adopted by Alea of Gluten-Free Flavor Full)

12. Lexie of Lexie’s Kitchen (adopted by Heidi of Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom)

13. Wendy of Celiacs in the House (adopted by Alta of Tasty Eats At Home)

14. Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef (adopted by Lydia of At Home with Real Food)

15. Sheryl of Gluten-Free Goodness (adopted by Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs)

16. Vanessa of Celiac Princess (adopted by Thomas of The GFCF Experience)

17. Kelly of The Spunky Coconut (adopted by Jen of Gluten-Free Life with Jen)

18. Karina of Gluten-Free Goddess (adopted by Kirstin of Our Gluten-Free Family)

19. Raj and Sonia of Flip Cookbook (adopted by Tracee of Mrs. Ed’s Research and Recipes)

20. You (and your adoptee) are next! (Yes … a few late entries would be great. Choose someone who has not yet been adopted, please.)

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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August 2010 Support Group Meeting

When:  Monday, August 9, 6:00 pm

Where: Shirley’s Home in King George, VA 
(Note: Please email Shirley for directions if you are local and plan to attend.)

What:  This is our regular monthly meeting. We’ll begin with our shared gluten-free meal (many items will be dairy free, refined sugar free, etc.).  It will be a potluck this time … no theme. Bakery on Main has sent us some of their delicious granola to try, too!

After our meal, we’ll be watching the 42-minute documentary, Generation Gluten Free.  (You can watch a 3-minute trailer here.) This video comes highly recommended. Hopefully, we’ll also have enough time afterwards to have a discussion session. You can watch a short video interview with the creator and director, Susan Cohen, here. (Note:  If you can’t attend the meeting, you may want to consider purchasing your own copy. The total cost is $4.50. That includes shipping and handling. Order here.)

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Birthday Camping with Gluten-Free Beer Can Chicken

July 25, 2010 · Filed Under Adopt Gluten-Free Blogger, Pennywise Platter, Slightly Indulgent, appetizer, camping, chicken, dairy free, easy, entree, giveaway, gluten free, recipe, seafood, side dish, travel, treats ·29 Comments 

This post is linked to Summer Grilling Recipe Exchange, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Delicious Dishes, and Pennywise Platter Thursday.

A few days before my birthday, Son called and said he wanted to come camping with us on our mountain property, and bring a couple of friends. We said sure! We never turn down a chance to be with Son and it’s fun to hang out with the younger crowd for the weekend. We knew we’d be playing camp staff (cook, counselor, canoe/kayak livery, etc.), but we didn’t mind. The best birthdays are spent with loved ones, right? And, you know we love our mountain property. Just driving there one starts to relax.

So I started planning the menu, other than the appetizer. I knew Son would take care of that. He loves to catch crawdads … and we love to eat them. This trip was no different.

I thought about the cookies I’d need to bake. Last time, Son and four of his friends had gone through 8 dozen cookies, and that was just in the first few hours. This time he was just bringing two friends, but still, a mom has to be prepared. So I made a batch of Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies (using my new coconut sugar variation) and Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies—about 6 dozen cookies in all.

Next up was side dish and entrée planning. Side dishes first, because they are easy. There would be steamed artichokes (one of our favorites—especially for camping) and potatoes baked in the coals. Now for the entrée or entrees. I had just received some New Planet gluten-free beer to review (review is up on my Out and About page here), so I decided that at least some of that would be used to make beer can chicken. Yes, gluten-free beer can chicken. Or as Mr. GFE says, more correctly, it’s gluten-free beer-in-a-can chicken because the gluten-free beer didn’t actually come in a can. I don’t know any brand of gluten-free beer that does actually (please correct me if I’m wrong), but that’s not a problem. One can just recycle any type of standard, 12-ounce beverage can by washing it out and adding gluten-free beer. And, that’s what I did. I snagged son’s soda can, washed it, filled it half way with beer, and we were in business.

Son eating Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookie and opening gluten-free beer

I proceeded to prepare and roast the chicken using a combination of several ideas I’d read online. I washed it, oiled it, applied a rub (using the blackened seasoning adapted from Ashlie (The Delshad Duo) that I first used on my Blackened Black Bean Burgers and later on grilled catfish), inserted the gluten-free beer in a can in its cavity, and roasted for a little over an hour. See step-by-step directions below, but this chicken was so easy to roast and the results were surprisingly delicious. Although I’d never had beer can chicken before going gluten free, it really is as super moist and flavorful as is reported. Note that the final product doesn’t really taste like beer in any way—at least not per our experience. (If you don’t drink beer, you can certainly use another beverage, like ginger ale for the steaming/moisturizing effect.) There’s little fat left after roasting, since the fat drains away as the chicken roasts. (The following photos were taken after dark and required either flashlight assistance from Mr. GFE or the forbidden flash. You can see my fat bird took a tumble towards the end.)

Beer Can Chicken is definitely going on our meal rotation. For camping, we’ll only make it when we have a larger group because one chicken goes a long way and cooler space is always a concern, but at home, I anticipate roasting one, saving some leftovers, and freezing a good portion for a later meal. We ate some of the leftover chicken once we returned home, I used some to make chicken salad, and a very meaty carcass went into the freezer for a future soup (like Black-Eyed Pea with Ham and Chicken) or Chicken Pot Pie. With our current heat wave (understatement!), any winning grill recipe is extremely welcome right now.

Gluten-Free Beer Can Chicken
(Click here for a print version of this recipe.)

one roasting chicken, any size
couple of tbsp of olive oil
couple of tbsp of blackened seasoning rub (recipe here)
one potato or onion (optional; see notes)
6 – 8 ounces of gluten-free beer

Turn grill on high on the opposite side of where you will place your chicken. The chicken requires indirect heat for roasting. With the grill lid closed, this method equates to a 350-degree (F) oven.

Wash chicken. Pat dry.

Spread some olive oil over the entire surface.

Rub blackened seasoning over entire chicken.

See notes below for using beer can chicken apparatus if desired, but otherwise, pour gluten-free beer into can opening until halfway or 2/3 full. Keeping chicken upright, insert beer can into chicken’s cavity. Place all upright on grill. Close lid.

Roast for at least an hour, longer if your chicken is larger. Our chicken weighed 5 ½ lbs and roasted for about an hour and 15 minutes.

SUPER CAUTION WARNING HERE: Very carefully, remove can from chicken. There will still be beer in the can and it will be boiling (or close to it). Immediately pour beer out of can in a safe disposal area and remove empty can to where nobody can reach it (you don’t want someone to accidentally pick it up). I crunched ours and added it our to our recyclable bin of cans, all while wearing heavy oven mitts. 

Serve. Enjoy.

Shirley’s Notes: If you’re a fussy type, you can even buy a beer can chicken apparatus like this one. I didn’t have one, but I did use the base of my chicken roaster pan (basically a large metal saucer) to set the can in and position my chicken over. My top-heavy chicken did turn over half way through cooking, but it didn’t make any difference. It still roasted perfectly and looked great. But, again, if you’re the fussy type, you might want one of the beer can chicken holders. I’ve made a big batch of the blackened seasoning rub and keep it in our camping food box. It’s great for grilled catfish, zippy burgers, and more. Some folks like to insert a whole potato or onion in the neck of the chicken. The latter provides a strong onion flavor, I’m told. Either the potato or the onion can be eaten with the roasted chicken when all is finished cooking. I didn’t do that and I think it would have made my chicken even more top heavy, but it is an option. Last, be sure to follow the caution note above when removing the can from the chicken after roasting. Update: Be sure to read all of Nance’s great variations in comments below!

As you can see from the photos, we also enjoyed some Oven-Steamed Shrimp. So we had a great “surf and turf” meal.

It was the first time eating artichokes for one of Son’s friends. It’s always fun to introduce new folks to the joys of artichokes. Both Son and his other friend were very encouraging, but I think the friend who was new to artichokes was still unsure even after a few bites. If you don’t grow up eating them, artichokes can take some time to “grow on” one.

I’d thought about making a batch of Crab Claws (ultimate summer cocktail) for the cooler … it was my birthday after all, and these young men (of drinking age) certainly enjoy libations. Plus, there would be no driving. But, I’d never gotten around to purchasing all the ingredients. In the end, it turned out to be a good thing that I hadn’t partaken of any spirits. One of Son’s friends had an allergic reaction that had started once he arrived on his motorcycle and I ended up driving us all to the emergency room. Thankfully, Son’s friend was okay after he was treated! To show you how quiet the area is where our property is located, there was not another soul waiting in the emergency room when we arrived and our entire round trip, including the visit, took all of 40 minutes.

The weekend weather was hot, but it was still sunny and fairly clear (it’s always less humid in the mountains) as you can see from the photos. (Any haze is actually smoke from our campfire.) Of course, the high temps were perfect for swimming and relaxing. We still had our fire and the temperature dropped enough at night that we slept under blankets. Son and friends used most of the cookies that remained after dinner to make gluten-free S’mores using the ginormous Campfire marshmallows that are now on the market. Have you seen them? Notice that they say “gluten-free” right on the bag! Hold your fingers apart like Son is doing in the photo and you’ll see how big these marshmallows really are. Wow, huh? Of course, homemade marshmallows are healthier. I haven’t made any yet, but Zoe (Z’s Cup of Tea) has. (Check our her homemade version here and here using two different sweeteners. No artificial dyes or corn syrup to worry about with Zoe’s gorgeous marshmallows.) 

Other meals included lunch with the easy classic of grilled hot dogs with chips on the side and fend-for-your-own breakfast. Oh, and while none of the guys were willing to go so far as to sing Happy Birthday to me, I did receive lots of birthday wishes and even hugs. So this Mom was very much a happy camper!

Just a few other “goings on” this week:

Somehow I missed this one earlier, but lovely Tia (Glugle Gluten Free) is hosting Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger this month. (FYI: Tia recently celebrated a big birthday with a special, gluten-free Napa birthday trip … with a visit to an awesome bed and breakfast. How awesome? Well, she was greeted with freshly baked gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and served gluten-free scones! Read all about it here, and happy birthday, Tia!) Hurry if you want to sign up for Adopt a GF Blogger. The deadline was yesterday, but this is a loose deadline per the rules, so somewhat late sign-ups are welcome. (I just signed up today myself.) Sign up at Glugle Gluten Free here.

Last week I shared Chocolate Zucchini Bread to help you all with your glut of the prolific green veggie. Well, I just saw another ingenious and tasty way to use zucchini—zucchini crisps! Get out your dehydrator or fire up your oven to low (still feasible for some of you in cooler climes!), because you’ll want to try this recipe. And, even if you’re not interested in zucchini crisps, I still recommend checking out the article because it talks about all the benefits of dehydrating part of one’s summer harvest. It even includes a review of a very economical dehydrator.

Continuing on in the gluten-free cooking arena, Kim (Cook IT Allergy Free) posted some great tips on avoiding baking mishaps in the gluten-free kitchen. I chimed in with some things that have helped me, and you, can, too. Kim is looking for your input in comments. Her tips post is a great one to save (or better yet print out and place inside your kitchen cabinet door near your stove). We all tend to get into baking habits, some good … some bad, but as we know making a change and then repeating it creates a new habit. Here’s to more successful baking for all. Thanks, Kim!

Maggie (She Let Them Eat Cake) has a great discussion post up: Feeding Gluten-Free Kids. She shares the tips that work for her family. I’m sure you’ll find some that will help you and your family as well.

The deadline for Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! is Tuesday. Submit your entry for Ooh La La Bastille Day (i.e., French dishes) to Cheryl (Breaking Bread) by Tuesday, July 27. Read more here.

Over at Diane’s (The W.H.O.L.E. Gang), this week’s Friday Foodie Fix features peaches! I shared my gluten-free, dairy-free Peach Sorbet and there are several other recipes so far–savory and sweet. Read and/or add yours here. I still haven’t tried grilled peaches, have you? Just saw those on another blog … with whipped cream! Time to fire up the grill again and pull my always chilled coconut milk out of the fridge to make gluten-free, dairy-free Honey Whipped Cream.

Heidi (Adventures of Gluten-Free Mom) shared two outstanding posts this past week. I had recently touched on my ob/gyn issues caused by gluten. Heidi read, commented, and took the ball and ran with it, addressing those issues as well as many symptoms considered atypical. Read her article with numerous sources cited and watch the two videos that she included—one of Alice Bast, the founder and head of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) and the other of Heidi Collins, the CNN anchor and spokesperson for the NFCA. Alice Bast’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, and Heidi Collins “went down the rabbit hole” of misdiagnosis for many years, too. (Actually, I think all too many of us took a trip down that rabbit hole. That Lewis Carroll expression from Alice in Wonderland was aptly used by Dr. Scot Lewey, gastroenterologist and digestive disease specialist, in the title of this article on celiac.com.) Heidi also shared her son’s recent results with Enterolab testing and her subsequent discussion with Dr. Ron Hoggan. You’ll want to read Heidi’s entire post (particularly, the effect that casein can have on one’s small intestine). But, here’s just one of the news flashes she shares: Dr. Hoggan’s new book, which he co-wrote with Scott Adams (founder of celiac.com), has been released. Cereal Killers: Celiac Disease and Gluten Free A to Z has a compelling title and I’m sure it’s full of eye-opening information. Dr. Hoggan’s books always offer some of the most thought-provoking information on celiac and non-gluten issues, as well as the many conditions related to them.  

Speaking of the NFCA, Pete (No Gluten, No Problem) is still training for his Virgil Crest Ultra event (which covers 50.1 miles, and climbs 10,000 vertical feet!). As part of that event, he’s also raising money for the NFCA. You can read more here and make donations here, if you’d like. I love that I can support Pete and such a worthy cause at the same time.

Last, don’t forget about my giveaway of three terrific e-books—your choice! The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook, 7 Quick Start Tips to a Healthy Gluten-Free Fit Life, and Sweet Freedom are all as good as they sound. Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 28; enter here.

Okay, better let you go so you can see if you have a roasting chicken in the freezer and some gluten-free beer in the refrigerator. Maybe your Monday dinner is looking good!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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About Me

Shirley BradenGluten free since June 2003, I lead a celiac/gluten intolerance group in Virginia. My passion is educating folks on gluten issues and showing how eating gluten free can be easy if you focus on “real” foods versus processed and specialty foods.

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GFE's Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, but rather a volunteer sharing my experiences. Consult your physician for medical guidance. To the best of my knowledge, all ingredients/products that I use are gluten-free (even if I do not indicate that each and every time I mention them; e.g., if I refer to "soy sauce," it's a gluten-free soy sauce). However, I take no responsibility for the accuracy of that information. Always read labels and verify the gluten-free status of any ingredients/products to your own comfort level.

Not just gf, but gfe!