GF/DF Oven fried chicken Yummy!

My grandmother shared this delicious recipe with me in the recent years.  I asked her for the recipe again a few months ago and then I lost it.  I was thrilled to find the recipe again on this page. My family absolutely loves it!  I changed it to make it fit our needs.  Now it's gluten free and dairy free....and STILL delicious!



Oven Fried Chicken

This simple oven fried chicken is coated with a seasoned flour mixture and baked with a little butter.
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

3 to 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1/4 cup corn flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup  dairy free butter or olive oil
Preparation:

Directions for oven fried chicken recipe
Preheat oven to 425°.
Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels...if desired. In a bowl with a lid, combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Place lid on and shake to coat chicken with the flour mixture. I ended up making a second batch of the flour mixture and threw that in until it was evenly coated.

Put butter in a shallow baking pan; place in oven to melt. When butter is melted, arrange chicken in the baking pan in a single layer, (if using bone-in chicken, place skin side down and add an extra 10 minutes to baking time, after flipping). Bake at 425° for 30 minutes; turn and bake 5 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender and done. Oven fried chicken recipe serves 4.

Hummus

My new obsession...hummus.  I've had it a few times over the years and I have enjoyed it, but have always thought of it as a treat for a special occasion.  I'm not quite sure where that thought came from. Since I have recently started a gluten free/dairy free diet I am constantly on the look-out for foods that are delicious and fit the diet.  While at a recent Bridal Shower, I had hummus and was reminded of how yummy it is.

I started looking up recipes and talking about it.  This weekend we went to Kansas City to spend time with my husband's brother and his family and also attend the temple there.  While at the store with my sister-in-law I mentioned hummus and she showed me one she really liked.  I HAD to try it out.  It was so yummy!

Today, all I wanted was hummus. So, I got out the ingredients and began making it.  Find the original recipe here. I added parsley to the recipe because I found it on another page, but I can't seem to find the link anymore.  If I find it, I'll post it.

Hummus

·  1/4 cup (59 ml) fresh lemon juice or 3 Tbsp lemon juice

·  1/4 cup (59 ml) tahini

·  Half of a large garlic clove, minced

·  2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

·  1 teaspoon kosher salt

·  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 Tbsp parsley crushed

·  One 15-ounce can (425 grams) chickpeas

·  2 to 3 tablespoons water

·  Dash of ground paprika for serving

In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds.

Open can of chickpeas, drain liquid then rinse well with water. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and quite smooth. Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect.

Scrape the hummus into a bowl then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika.
Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.

Now go...spread it on your bread instead of mayo or mustard...dip your veggie sticks into it...and scoop it with your favorite tortilla chips or vegetable chips.  

Traveling and eating Gluten Free/Dairy Free and food dye free can be a challenge!

We are going to visit family this weekend and need to be prepared with food for my lovely Gluten Free/Dairy Free diet and Littlest Miss's dye free diet. We discussed possible options with family and decided to go with tacos.  Therefore, today I am making myself some corn tortillas for the occasion.

I found a recipe here that is very simple and easy to follow.  

I have a flour tortilla press that is electric and does the same basic thing that a corn tortilla press does.  I covered the cold plates of the press with plastic wrap and pressed the dough in that.  You can also place your dough ball between the plastic wrap and press it down with the bottom of a small pot. (got that idea from a youtube video on making tortillas)

Then I placed the tortilla on a hot cast iron pan, that is dry; without any oil or butter.  Cook it for about 1 minute and then flip and cook for 30 seconds or so.  They seem stiff at first but if you put them in a linen cloth inside a glass dish they get nice and soft and PERFECT for tacos or any other meal.

I spread some dairy free butter on it and dribbled some homemade peach jam inside.  THAT was delicious.  Most of the time I DO NOT feel like I am going without or missing anything by doing this GF/DF diet. Instead, I am getting more creative.

Get creative with your food today!!

Gluten free meals can be tricky...or maybe not!

Thinking Gluten Free and Greek...

Gyros

1 small onion

2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 lb. ground turkey

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Finely chop onion.  Chop parsley.  Press garlic into mixing bowl.  Add onion, parsley, turkey, thyme, salt and pepper.  Mix vigorously until well blended.  Add oil to skillet; heat over medium-high heat for 1-3 minutes or until shimmering.  Form turkey mixture into four thin, rectangular loaves, about ¼ in thick.  Cook 1-2 minutes on each side or until browned.  Place skillet in oven and bake 6-8 minutes or until loaves are no longer pink. 

Yogurt sauce

½ cup plain yogurt

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/8 tsp salt

2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley

¼ cup fresh cucumber, finely chopped

½ -1  tsp lemon juice to taste

Fresh dill to taste

Mix in small bowl. Serve.

Featherlight Rice Flour Mix (Bette Hagman's The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread..with a slight change)
1/2 cup Rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup Tapioca flour
1 cup Cornstarch
3 tsp potato flour 

Gluten Free Pita Bread
2 1/2 cups GF flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp olive or canola oil
1 cup warm water (105-110 degrees)

In large bowl combine 1 cup flour with the salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the oil and water. Beat vigorously for 3 minutes, then stir in the rest of the flour, along with the xanthan gum, 1/2 cup at a time. The dough will be a rough, shaggy mass that will clean the sides of the bowl. If the dough is moist, add a small amount of flour. Kneed for a couple of minutes in the bowl. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Shape into balls on the counter, and cover with a damp linen towel or tea towel. Let rest for 30 minutes. Use the palm of your hand and flatten the dough. Finish with a rolling pin, flattening the dough into a 6" disk. Place each round on a square of foil and place directly onto oven rack. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until they are slightly golden at the edges. Let cool, place in ziplock bag to store. 

Have a wonderful, gluten free and tasty weekend!

Energy Balls Recipe

I have been wanting to try these treats for a while and I finally made the time to do it tonight.  They sounded delicious and nutritious too.  I kept thinking...this is too good to be true. But the results are in and the votes have been counted.  And I even heard one of my children say that these were more delicious than my chocolate chip cookies!  WHAT!?! Haha! I looked at recipes from several different sights and combined them to make my own.

Below you will find the sights where I found the different recipes:
Here's one with cocoa in it. This is another one with several variations here. If you like coconut there's one here. This one has nuts as well as oats. And here is a more simple one.

Energy Balls  - my version ;)

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey (or agave or real maple syrup)
2 1/2 cups quick oats (you can use rolled oats too)
1 cup flax seed meal
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Place peanut butter and honey in a bowl and mix well.  Add vanilla and cocoa powder and mix well.  Add oats, flax, chocolate chips, and nuts and mix well.  You may need to mix some with your hands to get it well blended.  Roll into balls, place in an air tight container and either freeze or refrigerate.  They last 7-10 days in the fridge...unless they are devoured first!

They think they are eating cookies...little do they know they are getting something healthier!

Wednesday's Wonderings

Everyone needs brownies sometimes! 

At those critical moments in life that call for a warm gooey pan of brownies, you hope you have a mix in the cabinet.  On those horrific occasions when you find you are out of brownie mix and just NEED that fix you might begin to wonder if you could possibly make some from scratch that taste as good.  I finally found this recipe and it's the closest thing to chewy brownie deliciousness from a box that I have ever made!  Now I NEVER buy the box mix.  I always have the ingredients in the house for those "chocolate fix" kinds of moments.  

Brownies

Ingredients

·         3/4 cup white sugar

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         3 tablespoons water

·         2 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

·         3 eggs

·         3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1.     Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease an 9x13 inch pan.

2.     In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. It's hard to stir and will be lumpy but they come out great!

3.     Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies set up. Test with toothpick for done-ness, a couple of inched from the edge, but not in the center. Do not overbake! Cool in pan and cut into squares.

Now, go make some deliciousness in a pan!

Saturday's Scrumptiousness

I love food.  I love trying new food.  I love finding new recipes to try.  So, today I'm going to share a recipe given to me by my grandmother.  It's a healthy way to make really delicious chicken.  I LOVE fried food, but when trying to keep your weight down after 6 children and the age of 32...well...one cannot always indulge in the foods they always used to.  We must make some adjustments to our food intake.  Putting it simply...it really stinks to be an adult, sometimes.  ;)

Oven Fried Chicken

1-1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts (whole or cut into strips)
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt (original recipe calls for 1-2 tsp salt)
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. paprika (I heap the teaspoons)
2 tsp. olive oil per chicken breast

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour olive oil onto baking sheet. Place flour, salt, pepper, and paprika into a bowl.  Stir until all ingredients are blended well.  Place flour mixture into a gallon sized zipper seal baggie or large bowl with lid. Add chicken.  Close bag or bowl and shake until chicken is coated well.  Pour entire contents onto baking pan, spaced evenly.  Bake for 15 minutes for strips or 30 minutes for full breasts and then turn each piece over.  Bake another 5-10 minutes for strips, 15 minutes for full breasts or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.  Serve with rice or potatoes, and a side of veggies or a salad.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!  Happy Saturday!