When life gives you lemons...make chicken salad

Okay, so things don't always turn out the way you planned.  Take this week for instance.  One of the things I really enjoy at work is our occasional "Iron Chef" competitions.  The "trophy" is a chef's apron that is signed by each consecutive winner.  I was the third signature on this illustrious award a couple years ago with BLT Cheesecake with Lemon Aioli.  The secret ingredient for the competition was cream cheese.  I simply went to one of my favorite recipe sites, typed in cream cheese.  I then went to the option to add another ingredient and choose bacon.  Lets face it, bacon makes everything good!  The recipe that came up is one from Emeril Lagasse and BAM, it was a winner!  If you're gluten free simply substitute gluten free crackers.  If you're looking for a great recipe here's the link http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/blt-cheesecake-with-lemon-aioli-recipe/index.html, however I digress. 

This week the competition was centered around chicken.  Those who have followed a few of my links may have found my simply good chicken recipe.  It was the beginning of my very first post.  It's the easiest chicken ever and is fantastic.  So, Thursday morning I awoke at 4am to clean, rub and cook a chicken.  My most amazing husband, Steve even offered to get up with me and help.  He does a much better job of cleaning and dressing a chicken than I do.  Steve even cuts the wing tips off. 

The chicken cooked from 4-7am till it was time for me to leave for work.  I dropped my son off at school and continued on with my chicken in the crock pot and the crock pot in a cardboard box.  This is to prevent the amateurish mistake of having said crock pot turn over in the car and spill it's contents on the carpet.  It's very hard to get sweet and sour meatball sauce out of car carpet...long story.  Once at work I walk the miles and miles, well it seemed like it, to the building from the parking garage.  You would think putting everything else I had to carry in the box with the chicken would be a good idea.  Not if your water bottle leaks and has room to turn over in, did I mention, cardboard box.  With water dripping out of the now weakening box, I finally made it to the building only to find out that the room we are holding the competition is on the complete opposite side of the complex.  Oh my aching arms!  Once inside I see that there are other entries already on display so I add my crock pot to the counter and plug it in.  If you've looked at the chicken recipe from the first post you have seen that it needs to cook for 5 hours.  No problem, the competition doesn't start till 11am.  No problem that is if you have power going to the crock pot.  You see, when you plug too many crock pots and a microwave into the same outlet, you are likely to blow a fuse and nothing gets cooked. 

Oh well, so I withdrew my chicken from the competition.  No need to poison anyone with under cooked chicken.  I moved the chicken to another room and continued cooking.  Once I was home for the evening I pulled the cooked chicken off the bones and stored it in the refrigerator to make chicken salad.  If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  If it gives you extra chicken make chicken salad.  My mother-in-law even had a recipe she had been wanting to try.  It looked good but looks can be deceiving.  Don't get me wrong, this is good chicken salad but it's not great chicken salad.  I'm going to list it below but I'm going to also list the one I should have made.  You see said mother-in-law has made the great chicken salad several times and it is delicious.  I had good chicken salad for lunch today and it is good but it's not the lemonade from lemons that I was hoping for.  So, if in the future, life gives you too much chicken, I suggest you do as I say and not as I did and make the great chicken salad instead of the good one.  Or try them both.  You may like the other one better. 

Good Chicken Salad (from A Decade of Cooking, The Costco Way-a free publication)
1 pound cooked chicken breast, cubed (I used some dark meat too)
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
1 cup celery, peeled and chopped (peeled!  Who are you kidding!  Just chop it!)
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup light dairy sour cream (we don't use light)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I think this is why I don't like this recipe as well.  You could try a lighter vinegar)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (3 min in the microwave on a paper towel does the trick)
1 cup red grapes halved (seeded if they have seeds)
6 cups mixed salad greens, torn (optional)

Mix all ingredients except salad greens in a large bowl and toss.  Place salad greens on serving plates if you're using it.  Top with chicken salad.  I just put the chicken salad in a bowl and enjoyed for lunch with an open face sandwich.    Reminder: this is good chicken salad but keep reading...






Great Chicken Salad (also known as Fruity Chicken Salad)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 red apple, diced

1 cup green seedless grapes, halved

1 stalk celery, chopped

Toss all ingredients and serve as a salad or on a sandwich.  May be served over a bed of lettuce. 

So not every recipe we try is a success.  If this happens to you, brush it off and try again.  Coming soon...gluten free vegan bread, gluten free vegan grilled cheese sandwich, tabouli and a challenge to find a good if not great gluten free tortilla.

 

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Living With Donuts...YUM!!!

Suzanne is a very dear friend!  She was already living gluten free when we met.  It was she who encouraged me to try a gluten free lifestyle even before I knew I was gluten intolerant.  I owe her so much, including a healthy belly.  When I find it, I'll post the chocolate flourless cake I made for her birthday the year we met.  For the life of me I can't find the recipe I used but I digress.  I recently had lunch with Suzanne and asked her my favorite question "what one thing do you miss most since living gluten free?”  Her answer came so suddenly it made me giggle, "donuts!”  That shouldn't be too hard I thought, that is until Suzanne mentioned that she was now also trying to live vegan.  The donut recipe I wanted to try called for 6 eggs. (Original recipe: http://comfybelly.com/2010/05/coconut-flour-donuts/) Okay, so this is going to take some thought.  First, back to Kathy, my sister-in-law. For those of you who have just tuned in Kathy knows all the secrets of cooking or at least a lot more than I do!  The recipe I found uses coconut flour (gluten free) and eggs (not vegan).  There are several egg substitutes on the market but I have heard that they are not great.  Kathy recommended using flax seed meal as an egg substitute.  Good news, flax seed meal is actually good for you.  Does that mean my donuts are good for you?  Well according to Bob's Red Mill, the brand I used, flax seed meal is a "health-giving digestive aid. They are also high in fiber and are powerful natural cholesterol controllers".  They are also a good source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids.  Sounds healthy to me!  

Coconut Donuts (gluten free AND vegan)

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons flax seed meal
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup melted coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flax seed meal with water and set aside for 2 minutes.  In the bowl of a mixer place all dry ingredients.  Blend for a few moments to incorporate.  Add all wet ingredients and blend till combined.  Scrape sides of bowl once or twice.  Shape a handful of the dough into a small log and gently place in a donut baker.   Bake for 20 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Donut baker tips: I suspect you could just put them in a circle and bake on a flat cookie sheet as it seems to keep its shape fairly well.  My baker makes 6 donuts at a time.  I filled it almost to the top for the first 6 and just split the dough between 2 for the final 2 donuts.  The last two came out just fine so I think I'll divide the dough into 6 and make each a little bigger next time.  With the coconut oil in the dough the baker required no oiling. 

To glaze or not to glaze?  Glaze of course!  While the first 6 donuts were baking my son pinched a little dough out of the bowl and tasted it.  After declaring it delicious, my mother-in-law and I had to try it too.  Mom declared that it tasted like the middle of a mounds bar.  Oooh, chocolate glaze! 

Chocolate glaze (gluten free and vegan)
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon coconut oil
6 tablespoons rice milk (or whatever you use)
Coconut (optional)

Melt chocolate and oil in the top of a double boiler.  Add the milk a little at a time whisking the mixture after each addition.  Stop when the glaze is the consistency you like.  I stopped when it was still fudgy looking and spread it on the donuts with a spoon.  Sprinkle with coconut if desired.  Refrigerate till glaze is set.  Freeze if not eating in one day.

Glazing tips:  The chocolate glaze is very rich so you may want a glass of milk or a cup of coffee nearby.  I will also try this recipe with a vanilla glaze with the coconut sprinkled on top.  Do NOT try and dip these donuts in the glaze unless you first freeze them.  They are too delicate right out of the oven.  I tried to dip one and it fell apart and my poor son had to eat that one with a spoon.  Man, I wish I had thought to take a picture of that! 

Crustless Quiche with Spinach, Feta and Cheddar

The inspiration for this post began with a wine tasting with our friends Lou and Cindy at the local BevMo. We all enjoyed the Canals & Nubiola Cava sparkling wine (http://www.canalsnubiola.com/eng/index.htm).  Between us we came home with 6 bottles.  The gentleman pouring our wines mentioned that he was taking home a bottle to enjoy with breakfast the next morning.  Great idea!  Since I love to entertain, I invited Cindy and Lou to join us for brunch.  I pulled out an old favorite cookbook, The Frugal Gourmet, combined three recipes and modified for gluten free.  Here is what I came up with.  Since it was two days before Valentines day I decided to add the red touches and my little cherub.

Crustless Quiche with Spinach, Feta and Cheddar

1 stick of butter
1 large onion diced
10 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour blend (I used Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix)  http://www.pamelasproducts.com/category/Baking_Mixes/170.aspx
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 pkg frozen spinach thawed (squeeze the spinach in a tea towel to remove moisture)
1 pound cottage cheese
6 oz feta cheese
10 oz sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Melt the butter and saute the onions till translucent.  While onions are cooking, whip the eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Add the flour blend, baking powder, salt, spinach, cottage cheese, feta cheese and approximately 2/3 of the cheddar cheese.  Just save enough cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top.  Stir in the onions and butter. 

Place the mixture in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Top with the reserved cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue baking 35 - 40 minutes.  The top should be lightly browned. 

Cool slightly and cut into squares for serving. 

* I have made this recipe many times and it is always different.  I have used Monterey Jack, Swiss, Cheddar and Feta cheese.  The vegetable I use simply depends on what I have on hand.  I have used zucchini, broccoli and spinach and even topped the whole thing with sliced tomatoes a few times. 

Mac & Cheese

This post has two stories.  The first is Andrea.  She has a beautiful boy with a bright smile, a love of macaroni and cheese and special needs.  Many parents are aware that a diet free of gluten can help children with Autism, ADD and ADHD.  Andrea reports, like many parents with special needs children,  that her child is a VERY picky eater.  When I asked the question "what does he like" Andrea told he loves mac and cheese.  She then went on to say that she had tried the boxed version labeled gluten free and neither of them would eat it.  I can't say that I blame them.  Food should taste good and as many of us who have tried products labeled "gluten free" know, they don't always.  The mac and cheese Andrea prepared for her son was one I also sampled at a Gluten Free food expo.  I couldn't even finish the tiny sample we were given.  This is inexcusable! 

My second story came out of the first.  I promised Andrea earlier this week that on Friday I would make Mac & Cheese for her to take home to her adorable picky eater.  I was talking about this at work when one of the parents (my day job is working with infants for those of you who didn't read post #1).  Jill mentioned that she and many of her busy co-workers would love it if someone had a business where they made dinners that were take-out.  Busy mothers want to feed their families healthy food but lets face it, we all work too hard sometimes.  This also gave me an opportunity to try my gluten free dish on a non-gluten free family...sweet!  Those who know me also know that I love doing things for others.  I didn't tell Jill ahead of time in case I was too tired to pull it off.  Besides, I just love surprising people!

  I knew this would mean I would be getting up fairly early on to make a fresh batch.  What I hadn't counted on was having my day job hours moved up one hour earlier on Friday to accommodate someone else's day off.  OOPS!  Oh well, I can do this!  Fortunately my husband takes a class at the local community college on Thursday nights so I could prep the night before.  Thursday night found me grating cheese and laying out the ingredients and tools I would need the next morning, including a very heavy pot that you will see in a both of my first two blogs and likely in many future ones as well.  It is my favorite pot. 

Friday morning I arose at 5:00, jumped into my jeans and t-shirt and dashed downstairs to the kitchen.  Okay, someone must have thought I left the pot out by mistake because they put it away.  I smile, open the drawer and pull out the very heavy pot again.  This is an extremely easy recipe to prepare so I was able to accomplish it in plenty of time to leave for work.  I even managed to eat breakfast in there somewhere but I really don't remember doing that. 

This recipe starts with quinoa elbow macaroni noodles.  There are many gluten free pastas on the market but I like quinoia best because of the nutrient value of quinoa and the way the pasta holds up.  Some of the rice pastas I have tried get too mushy. The recipe itself I found on the food network website and is one of Alton Brown's. Or Alton John as I called him a few days ago when I was in a hurry.  I think I had Elton John on the brain. I have altered it just a little and will post the changes I made but here is the original link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html

 I have to admit I am a little nervous about this recipe.  Not because it isn't good.  I have made it a few times and my family loves it and co-workers have requested it for potlucks.  I know it's good.  But will my little "guinea pig" (his mother's words, not mine) like it?

Mac and Cheese (the ultimate kid food)

1/2 pound gluten free elbow macaroni (I prefer quinoa)

4 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

6 ounces evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh black pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Melt the butter in the pot slowly being careful not to burn.  Put the pasta back in the pot with the butter. Toss to coat. Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy. Serve to your picky eater. 

Gluten Free Chicken & Dumplings

The last time I had Chicken & Dumplings, I was about 13 years old!  As a child my mother would pack up my brothers and I for a road trips to either Marianna Florida or Gulfport Mississippi. My taste buds still remember a few of the family favorites from these trips.  Someday I would like to recreate Aunt Bertie's Sausage Bread pudding and Aunt Lela's Peanut Brittle.   But today it's Chicken & Dumplings. 

I love helping newbies to the world of Gluten Free living.  After a few successful tries at converting my family recipes to gluten free I have begun to ask others a simple question.  What dish do you miss most since going gluten free?  That's where the Chicken & Dumplings inspiration came from.  My current day job is primary care giver for infants.  Kristen is one of the mothers and she it is she who said she missed Chicken & Dumplings.  Okay Kristen, this one is for you...

Living With Chicken & Dumplings...Most recipes for Chicken & Dumplings start with you stewing the chicken in water.  I probably would have started here myself if it hadn't been for a night of insomnia recently.  I spotted an interesting recipe link on a friend's facebook page.  Always looking for the next great recipe I spent the wee hours of the morning looking at one recipe after another till I came across this one.  This is the moistest chicken recipe I have ever found and since it's done in a crock pot it practically cooks itself.  This is the original link but following is my version of it modified for Chicken & Dumplings.
http://cleverlyinspired.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-meal-monday-whole-chickenand-nothin.html

Chicken
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large onion sliced
4-5 carrots in 1 in chunks
1 large roasting chicken

Put onions and carrots in the bottom of a large crock pot.  Mix all of the spices together. Rinse your chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spices all over the chicken.  Don't be shy, it's just a chicken and your hands will wash.  Place the freshly rubbed down chicken on top of the vegetables.  Plug the crock pot in and turn the dial to low.  Set your kitchen timer for 5 hours.  When it goes off you have a moist flavorful chicken.   You could stop here but if it's Chicken & Dumplings you're craving...read on.

Chicken & Dumplings
One chicken recipe (above)
1 cup Gluten Free pancake & biscuit mix *
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter melted
1 egg beaten
1 Tablespoon of your favorite fresh herb (I used green onion because I had it on hand)
3 Tablespoons cornstarch

Remove the cooked chicken from the crock pot.  Put a strainer over a bowl and pour the contents of the crock pot into the strainer.  Measure the crock pot liquid and add chicken stock to make 6 cups.  Put a little of the liquid in a small bowl and add cornstarch.  Whisk till smooth and pour back into stock.  Put the vegetables in a food processor and rough chop or blend with a submersible blender after putting them into the stock. Put stock and vegetables in a large heavy pot.  Bring stock to a boil.  While waiting for the stock to boil mix remaining ingredients together adding the milk slowly till mixture is the consistency of bread dough.  Add one heaping tablespoon of dough to the boiling stock by lowering the spoon till it's just above the hot stock and pushing it off with another spoon.  Gently place spoonful after spoonful of the dough into the pot taking care not to crowd them too close to each other.  Keep the stock at a low boil and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  The chicken should have cooled by now.  Remove the meat, leaving the skin and bones behind.  Gently pull the chicken into bite size pieces.   Add the chicken to the pot.  Cover the stock and continue simmering on low for 15 minutes. Stir gently as to not disturb the dumplings.  Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.

*You may be one of those cooks who mixes their own flour blend.  If you are I only have one thing to say.  You have a lot more room to store all of those different flours than I do and much more time on your hands.  There are so lovely flour blends on the market so don't hesitate to use one.  I used Pamela's pancake and biscuit mix for this recipe.  I also enjoy Arnel's Original and The Pure Pantry blends.  When I was in Colorado last summer I found a lovely blend by Deby's Gluten Free.  The nice thing about this Deby's is that it's already blended to compensate for high altitude.   Below are links to all three gluten free companies. 
http://thepurepantry.com/
http://www.arnelsoriginals.com/
http://www.debysglutenfree.com/

This was a fun recipe to convert.  I now know why we only enjoyed this dish on Sundays.  It was a little time consuming.  You could prepare the chicken one day and finish the next.  I was tempted to prepare a mess of collard greens to go with our meal.  For those of you who didn't spend your early years in one of our southern states, a mess is the equivalent of a family size dish of greens.  SinceTonight's Guinea pigs were my in-laws and my sweet husband Steve, none of which have ever resided in our southern states, I sided our meal with green beans and a nice salad.  

Happy cooking and if there is a recipe that you would like to be Living with...send it to me.  I'd love to give it a go.