Oven Fried Chicken with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower

The times have certainly changed from the days where we ate what our mothers cooked or we didn’t eat.  Many of us now deal with persnickety kids that prefer not to eat their vegetables.  Or perhaps you’re cooking for a picky partner that just wants to eat his meat and potatoes sans all that green stuff.  Well this dish should quiet all of their complaints.  I assure you that the veggies are so well camouflaged in those creamy mashed potatoes that even the cook may forget that they’re in there.  As an added bonus this meal is much lighter than traditional fried chicken and mashed potatoes.  And as always it’s gluten free.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower Ingredients:

2 medium Potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces)

2 cups of Cauliflower (cut to a similar size as the potatoes)

2 cloves of Garlic (halved)

2 tbs Butter

½ cup Milk (or cream)

Salt &Pepper to taste

Add the potatoes, cauliflower, garlic and salt to a pot filled with cold water.  Set the pot on the stove to boil.  Once it reaches a boil reduce the heat and simmer for about twenty minutes or until everything is fork tender.  Drain the veggies.  Add the milk (or cream), butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Mash everything to the desired consistency and serve.

Video Tutorial:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Oven Fried Chicken Ingredients:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Cutlets

2/3 cup of Gluten Free Bisquick

1 Egg

2 tbs Milk

Garlic Powder

Paprika

Old Bay Seasoning

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

In a small bowl beat 1 egg with the milk and a healthy sprinkle of garlic powder, paprika, old bay, salt, and pepper.  You can use other seasonings to suit your own tastes.  Set this aside.

In another small bowl add about 2/3 of a cup of GF Bisquick and more of the same seasonings you used in the egg mixture and stir to combine.

Pat the chicken dry then dip it into the egg mixture before dredging it in the seasoned dry mixture.  If you’d like a thicker coating repeat the process by dipping it into the egg and then Bisquick mixture again.  Now place the chicken onto a foil lined baking sheet that has been either drizzled with olive oil or sprayed nonstick spray.  Once the second breast is dredged drizzle them both with more oil or spray them with nonstick spray and bake them at 450 for 15 minutes. Turn them during the baking process at the 10 minute mark.

I’ve added a small salad to the plate and a few sliced scallions to make the dish look pretty for its close-up.  Even if your kids want no parts of the salad you can still feel good knowing there’s a full serving of veggies hidden in those mashed potatoes.  Do I sound like a V8 commercial now?

Shrimp Fra Diavolo With Creamy Polenta

Shrimp Fra Diablo with Polenta

This modern take on shrimp and grits came to me as I was rifling through my cluttered freezer trying to dream up an idea for a quick lunch.  I spotted a small Ziploc bag containing several lonely looking shrimp.  Instantly I began to crave a plate of spicy Shrimp fra Diavolo.  I could just see those long strands of linguine drenched in fiery sauce twirling around my fork before spearing into a plump juicy shrimp.  The only problem was that I didn’t have any gluten free pasta in the pantry.  Nor did I feel like making a batch of homemade pasta at that point.  Feeling defeated I began to poke around the freezer again when I was struck with an idea.  Shrimp and grits is a classic pairing in the south and polenta is the same thing as grits so why not merge the southern Italian classic, Shrimp Fra Diavolo with creamy polenta instead of linguine.   And so, my lunch was born.  Its name may have originated in the pits of hell but oh how I heard the angels singing while I was eating this one.   

Ingredients for the Polenta:

• 1 cup water
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup instant polenta

Ingredients for the Shrimp Fra Diavolo:

• 4 oz shrimp (peeled & deveined)
• Sea salt & red pepper flakes to taste 
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 serrano pepper (seeded and diced)
• 1 clove garlic (peeled and sliced)
• ½ cup marinara sauce
• 1-2 oz red wine (white if you don’t want to discolor the shrimp)
• fresh basil

Video Tutorial:

Instructions:

1. To make the polenta, add the water, salt, and butter to a small saucepan and place it on a medium heat.  When the liquid comes to a boil, add the polenta and lower the heat.  Stir the polenta as it simmers for 3-5 minutes then turn off the heat, cover the pot and set it aside while you make the shrimp.
2. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and red pepper flakes.  Heat a skillet to medium-high then add the olive oil, shrimp, garlic and Serrano peppers.  Once the shrimp has sautéed for two minutes on the first side, turn them and allow them to cook for one minute on the second side before adding the wine.  After another minute add the marinara sauce.  Simmer for an additional minute then turn it off. 
3. To serve, spoon the polenta onto a plate.  Top it off with the shrimp mixture then add some ribbons of basil, a few more red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil to finish it off.   

Notes:  The amounts written in this recipe are enough for one large entree.  You could divide it into a few smaller appetizer sized portions or you could double or triple the recipe as needed.   

Chicken Salad with Grapes

Chicken Salad with Grapes

This chicken salad with grapes recipe is so simple I'm not sure I'd even call it a recipe.  What I can call it is a great use of the leftover chicken breast I had from last night's roast chicken dinner.  

This one definitely fits the bill in being easy, economical and gluten free.  As far as it being a recipe, that's debatable.  What's not debatable is how delicious it is.  So if you have some leftover chicken, you've got the battle half won.  And to the victor goes the spoils or in this can "the awesome lunch.  And if you're out of gluten free bread it's fantastic in a lettuce wrap.

The Ingredients:

• 4-6 oz of diced chicken breast
• 2 diced celery ribs
• 10 red grapes halved  (you can use white grapes but I didn't have any) 
• 1 scallion chopped (reserve a few pieces for garnish)
• 2 tbs Sour Cream
• 1 tbs lite mayo
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl.
2. Stir
3. Serve on a sandwich, as a crostini topper, in a bowl with crackers, in a lettuce wrap or however you'd like.  

Kimchi Scallion Pancakes

Kimchi Scallion Pancakes

These gluten free kimchi scallion pancakes couldn't be easier to make.  The batter can be thrown together quickly and can be made in advance then fried right before serving.  The pancakes themselves can even be made in advance then placed on a baking sheet and reheated in the oven right before serving. (350 degrees for 10 minutes) 

The amounts in this recipe make a substantial lunch for one or a great little side dish for a few.  You can double or triple the recipe as needed. If you don’t like Kimchi or don’t have any lingering in the fridge you can easily substitute a cup of grated zucchini or spinach or any number of vegetables in place of the Kimchi.  I've enjoyed many varieties of this recipes as quick easy lunch.  

 Ingredients

• 1 cup Kimchi
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup corn starch (make sure your brand is GF)
• 3 scallions chopped (reserve some for garnish)
• 1 tbs water      

Video Tutorial

 

Instructions

1. Stir all of the ingredients together until everything is well combined.  
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a nonstick skillet over a medium high heat and drop about 1/3 cup measures into the pan.  Use the back of your spoon to press them down a bit and form the pancakes.  
3. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on the first side then turn them over and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes on the second side.
4. Remove the pancakes from the pan and place them on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
5. Serve either whole or slice them into fours and shingle the pieces on the serving plate for a nicer presentation.